Interviewer: Sharupa Azmal
Welcome to our first member exclusive interview at Her Campus, St. John’s!
Role in Her Campus: Writer
A Word From Amaiya: “Hi! My name is Amaiya Sancho, I am a freshman, and I just switched to be a Communications Studies major with a minor in Social Justice. I am an Ozanam Scholar. I will be graduating in 2025. I am a HUGE astrology buff, I’m a cancer sun, libra moon, and pisces rising (one of the rarest rising signs btw)! I am really starting to get into film, and it’s my dream to be a famous screenwriter, maybe even direct, and possibly act. My all time favorite movie is Lady Bird, and that’s because I can personally relate to it. I prefer to watch foreign movies and TV shows because they’re a lot more interesting to me, and I like the aesthetic more. I love Élite, SKAM, Derry Girls, Doctor Foster, Dark, Quicksand, Baby, and Ragnarok. I am also from Columbia, Maryland and I am passionate about civil rights and equality.”
Why did you choose to join Her Campus?
“I started taking journalism class during my junior year of high school. One of my friends decided she was taking it, and then I picked it up because I just wanted to take a class with her. This decision ended up with me falling in love with journalism, and I was able to start writing for others to see, and that’s something that I’ve always wanted to do. So after taking 2 years of it in high school, I knew that I needed to join a club that was similar.”
What is a lesson you have learned during your time as a freshman in college?
“I’m still trying to learn how to relax and stop worrying about things that I can’t control. I need to know how to let things go. So many inconveniences and issues have arisen during my first 3 months at college (and a lot have come up prior to that), but I have had to realize it happens to everyone. There is no point in fixating on things that are out of your reach. The best thing to do is realize that problem is there, do everything you can do to try and solve that issue, and if things don’t go to plan, then it’s okay. That happens in life, and there’s no point in stressing about things that are out of our control.”
If you had a chance to speak to the 10-year-old version of yourself, how would she react to where you are today?
“I feel like the 10 year old me wouldn’t be surprised at where I am today, and she would’ve expected me to be where I am. From a very young age, I have always had high hopes, big dreams, and huge aspirations. I also knew from a young age that I would go to college. I took pride in telling people that I was going to be a first-generation college student, and the 10 year old me would be proud that I began acting on that dream. She would definitely not know what majoring in Communications means, but she would be ecstatic that I still have a love for writing. She’d also be jumping up and down with excitement because I have reverted back to her dream of being a famous filmmaker. 10 year old me was making stop-motion films on my iPad of my Barbies and American Girl Dolls, and my dad would always call me Spielberg. I know that I’m making my 10 year old self proud.”
Where do you envision yourself to be in the next 5 years?
“I envision myself in many different places. At the moment, it is my dream to be an award-winning screenwriter, director, and maybe even an actor. I really want to further my education after getting my bachelors, and I want to go to film school abroad. It has been a dream of mine for a while to be able to receive an education abroad, and that was my original plan for my bachelors before COVID came about. I hope that in the next 5 years I’ll be acting out my dream, writing scripts and learning more about the field that I desire getting into.”
Who is your role-model/inspiration?
“I have a ton of role-models/inspirations in life, including my parents, Princess Diana, Malcolm X, and Spike Lee. But the one I have been looking up to lately is Issa Rae. She is a famous actress, writer, and producer, and wrote her hit show, Insecure, which she stars in herself. I have always been meaning to start watching the show because I had heard so many great things about it. I also knew that Issa Rae has had a part in so many amazing projects. She is also from Maryland, which makes me look up to her even more. One day, I really want to write my own show or movie and star in it like she did.”
What difference do you hope to make in the world?
“I really hope that I bring more acceptance into the world. Not only for other people but for yourself as well. As a young mixed woman, I have had identity and self image issues that are unfortunately common in our world. I want people to be able to embrace themselves like I am still learning how to, and I want the world to start being more accepting. We live in such a judgmental society, and that is why so many people have self-image issues. I really want to help change that. I’m not sure how I would do it, but I’d love to.”
What is your favorite aspect of NYC?
“My favorite aspect of NYC has to be the amount of things you can do. Back home, the only things my friends and I would do is walk around Target or the mall, get some food, sit in the car, and listen to music. In NYC, there are so many different things to do that are actually pretty cheap. I like having the ability to find something new to do everyday.”
What are some differences between Columbia, Maryland and NYC? Do you have a preference for either city now?
“A HUGE difference between Columbia and NYC, more specifically St. John’s, is the lack of social and cultural awareness. My hometown is probably one of the most diverse and open places ever. I grew up around so many different people ever since kindergarten, and everyone in my hometown was very receptive and knowledgeable when it came to social and cultural issues within our community and our world. St. John’s is very diverse when you look at the students across campus, but I’ve heard and experienced some racial micro-aggressions that would never occur where I grew up. NYC is a very diverse place. Racially, socioeconomically, etc., just like Columbia. However, the rich in NYC tend to stick to themselves and couldn’t care less about the poorer people in their community, and that is nothing like Columbia. Columbia has a very interesting history. It is a planned community, founded by Jim Rouse, who is actually Edward Norton’s grandfather, and Norton went to my high school! The plan was for my community to be diverse, with low-income housing being placed directly near single family homes, townhouses, and expensive apartments. I thought this was pretty normal growing up, and that is definitely not the case. The planning is similar to NYC, but in Columbia, we all coexist and actually live amongst each other without judgment. There is so much more that I speak on regarding my hometown, and there was actually an article in The New York Times about a redistricting issue within my county that I’m featured in.”
How did living in a diverse environment impact your view on the world? Do you believe that diversity is significant for our generation?
“Living in a diverse environment and community really made me crave diversity for all aspects of life. I purposefully chose a school in a diverse city so that I would have that same feel. NYC is certainly not the same as Columbia, but I just knew that I needed to be somewhere with a bunch of different kinds of people. I couldn’t ever imagine myself being in an environment with only one kind of person and that definitely stems from my upbringing. Diversity is extremely significant for not only our generation, but for everybody and I believe it’s best to grow up that way. You can really tell who has and hasn’t been around different people. You learn so much just from being in a diverse environment that you wouldn’t really be able to learn anywhere else, that’s why it’s so important.”
Why did you choose to major in Communications and minor in Social Justice?
“I had originally come to St. John’s as a Government and Politics major because of my strong interest in social justice. I am currently taking “American National Government”, and I’ve realized that that major is NOT for me. I have always had a strong passion for writing, and it’s always been my strongest aspect in school. I was, and I am still sort of debating between a career in screenwriting, journalism, or something with a political aspect, so I decided to major in Communications because of how broad it is. I don’t feel tied down to anything, and I’m able to take a wide range of courses for my degree. I am required to have a Social Justice minor because I am a part of the Ozanam Scholars program. That is one of the requirements that is enveloped within the program. I’m so lucky to be a part of this program because it is all about social justice and social advocacy, which is why we have to minor in Social Justice.”
What piqued your interest in equality and civil rights?
“I have always been interested and passionate about advocating for civil rights. As a young Black woman, you kind of have to be interested in civil rights and advocate for them because if we don’t, then no one else would.”
How similar are you to your zodiac’s description?
“I would say that I am 99.9% similar to my zodiac sign’s description/stereotype. I am a cancer, and we are known for being sensitive and emotional, and I can definitely check off those 2 boxes. A majority of my astrological chart placements are in cancer (I know it’s scary), and I feel that my chart accurately represents me. Anyone who knows me personally can agree.”
What music do you usually enjoy listening to? Recently, Spotify just released their 2021 Wrapped. Was there anything that surprised you?
“I usually listen to Indie rock, pop, and rap. I was extremely surprised that my “opening credits theme” was “Stargirl Interlude” by The Weeknd ft. Lana Del Rey. I love this song, but I just did not expect that. It was also my top song of the year. I had listened to it 121 times. It’s an interlude so that means it’s short, so of course I had to replay it multiple times. I was also surprised (but kind of not surprised) that 4 out of 5 of my top songs were by Lana Del Rey or featuring her. The only song that was not by her was my #3, which was Toxic by Digga D. Was not surprised by this because I play this song way too much, and I love British rap. I was surprised that my top genre was “dance pop”, because I still don’t know what that means. I also spent a total of 6,242 minutes listening to Lana Del Rey (she was my top artist), and my top song of hers was “Old Money’, which I already knew would be my top song from her.”
Would you consider yourself an early bird or a night owl?
“I’m definitely both. I usually wake up around 9 a.m, even on weekends, because I like having a ton of time to do things throughout the day. The morning is also a bit more relaxing to me, so I’ll usually wake up early so that I’ll have time to enjoy it. I also don’t go to bed until at least 1 a.m. Sometimes it’s later than that. I have trouble sleeping at night, but throughout the day I will definitely take some naps.”
What would make you excited to get out of bed on a Monday morning?
“What gets me excited is coffee. It sounds kind of weird, but I get excited to make my coffee in the morning because it makes my dorm smell really good. Or sometimes I’ll want to treat myself to Starbucks, and the excitement of that will get me out of bed.”
What are the top 5 things on your bucket list?
“Most of the things on my bucket list are regarding travel. My #1 dream place to go is Norway, more specifically Lofoten. The Lofoten Islands have such insane scenery that can’t compare to anywhere in the US. I also want to see the Northern Lights. The lights don’t even look real, and I couldn’t imagine seeing them in real life. Another place on my bucket list is Banff, Canada. Not many people have heard of Banff, but its scenery is also unreal. I would also love to see the hot air balloons that are all over Cappadocia, Turkey. I would also love to see the Italian Dolomites. The last thing on my bucket list would be going to Leavenworth, WA for Christmas, it looks like something out of a movie.”
If you could have a dinner party with 5 people, dead or alive, who would they be and why?
“Bernie Mac, Princess Diana, Stevie Nicks, Taylor Swift, and Megan Thee Stallion. A very different lineup, I know. Bernie Mac is one of my all time favorite comedians and I loved watching the Bernie Mac show. You need a comedian at any dinner party. Princess Diana is one of my biggest role models because of how caring she was, and how she was always helping people. I want to be remembered the same way. The last three women are some of my favorite artists of all time. They are all such talented musicians and it would be awesome to be able to have dinner with them.”
Alright let’s end things with a little rapid fire. Would you rather…
Sit by the cozy fireplace or go ice skating?
“Sit by the fireplace! I am absolutely terrified of ice-skating.”
Meet Rudolf or Frosty the Snowman?
“Meet Rudolf! Rudolf was one of my favorite Christmas movies to watch growing up, so it would be an honor to meet him.”
Live inside an igloo or a snow globe?
“Living inside a snow globe would be insane. It would be the perfect “winter wonderland.”
That’s all for our interview with Amaiya! If you’re interested in learning more about her, check out her articles for Her Campus, St. John’s.