I met Amanda the summer before my freshman year at St. Mikes during one of the summer orientation weekends. She instantly struck me with her vibrant energy, infectious smile, and positive outlook on life. After the orientation weekend was over, she told the group to contact her with any questions whatsoever. It was that moment I realized Amanda wasn’t an upperclassman embarrassed by younger classmates; if anything, she feeds off of other’s energy and stories. She genuinely cared, and became the first mother hen amongst my first year at Saint Mike’s. When I arrived on campus to begin my first year, we ran into each other and she immediately greeted me with questions about my first few days. We continued to run into each other frequently throughout the year, always with a hug and excited conversation. Her effect on my freshman year is not shared by me alone; Amanda has befriended many incoming classmates of mine. It is for this reason I wanted to get to know more about one of the friendliest peers on campus!
How did Amanda become so involved in activities? When I asked her, she said that she got the idea to join different extracurricular activities by skimming the school e-mails and looking at flyers around campus. Through her strong dedication to orientation days and tours, she shows her genuine love for the Saint Mike’s campus.
Serving as one of my orientation weekend leaders during the summer, Amanda has come full circle with her involvement. She explains that the orientation activities help incoming students acclimate to the Saint Mike’s atmosphere. By giving the incoming students an idea of all of the different lifestyles on campus, an outlet is made to meet students, both in the freshman class and upperclassmen. She wanted to become an orientation leader herself because she wanted to meet new people. Some of her fellow orientation leaders have ended up becoming her best friends. Since Amanda is an expert on adapting to college life, I asked for her advice geared towards the incoming class. Surprisingly, her advice is simple. First, leave your dorm room door open! She explains people will poke their head in, and it’s a great way to meet people. Second, join at least one club or activity that interests you. The benefits are twofold: the outlet to meet people and build up your resume!
So what’s next for Amanda? After studying abroad in Ireland, she explained there is so much more to see and experience, and Saint Mike’s is just one community out of many in her life. It’s hard to believe Amanda will be graduating after this year; she will certainly be missed amongst the Saint Mike’s community. Through her time at SMC, Amanda has allowed incoming students, as well as her peers, to learn about themselves by displaying honesty and loyalty to those around them.