Meet Mackenzie Lowers, the Vice President of Recruitment for HuskyTHON 2016.
Pictured: Derek Litts & Mackenzie Lowers
Age: 21
Year: Senior
Major: International Business
Hobbies: Hanging out with her friends, dancing/teaching dance (at home), working out here and there
RP: How did you first get involved in HuskyTHON?
ML: Freshman year I got involved as a dancer with my sorority. I didn’t know much about it but it seemed like a fun event for a really worthy cause.
RP: How did you get to be VP Recruitment?
ML: After my first great experience with HuskyTHON, I loved it so much that I wanted to move to a role with more authority. Sophomore year I became a morale captain, junior year I applied for management team and became a co-director of morale and this year I applied to be a VP.
RP: What are your duties as VP Recruitment?
ML: My primary responsibility is to recruit everyone for the event; registration just closed on Saturday and over 2,500 people are signed up. I’m in charge of all of those people and five directors underneath me: campus affair, two dancer relations, and two co-directors of morale. I host all of the recruitment events including dancer week and registration week and any other tabling we do.
RP: What advice can you give to people doing their first HuskyTHON?
ML: Definitely get into it as much as you can right now. Before you’ve experienced the event once, you don’t want to fundraise as much because you don’t really get it yet. For me, I’ve been really into it ever since my first time and have wanted to be more involved every single year.
RP: Any tips for handling the 18 hours of dancing?
ML: Don’t be scared. Now that I’ve done it so many times it really isn’t that bad, especially as a dancer. Management team is up on their feet much longer than 18 hours. Once you get to the field house it’s easy because you’re around all of this energy and it just becomes kind of natural to be on your feet. Definitely pack lots of changes of clothes and shoes. Check out huskython.org for list of things you should bring and bring them all. Also, you’re going to want to wash your face.
RP: What is your favorite thing about being a Husky?
ML: I love being in Connecticut at a big school. UConn originally wasn’t my first choice but now I absolutely love it: the athletics, the size, and the abundance of things you can do here.
RP: What does HuskyTHON mean to you?
ML: It means I don’t have free time *laughs*. No, it’s just been engrained in me to always be thinking about HuskyTHON or doing something for HuskyTHON because I’ve been so heavily involved for so many year. I’ve made great connections with people. I’ve benefited from Connecticut Children’s hospital. I’ve loved seeing where all the money goes. I’ve been to the hospital and worked with the kids. You really see it pay off- making people happy and making a difference.
RP: What is your favorite part about HuskyTHON?
ML: I love the circle of hope when all the kids come in and cut the bracelets off. I can’t wait for when everyone comes into the field house and does the very first morale dance because all those participants are the people who I’ve helped to recruit as VP. I’ll get to see it all come to life. Honestly, the part I’m most excited for this year is the last reveal. It’s at the end of the event and the total amount of money raised is revealed. There’s always so much anticipation but for me it will be a validation of all the work we’ve put in this year.