Name: Sarah McDonagh
Age: 20
Major: English with a Teaching Licensure concentration
Year: Junior
Hometown: Sykesville, Maryland
Favorite show to binge: Grey’s Anatomy forever!!
Favorite beverage: Dunkin Caramel iced coffee with two creams and two sugars
HC: What are you involved in on campus?
SM: I am a part of the Club Equestrian Team. I currently serve as the Secretary, and I have been a part of the team since I was a freshman. I am also a Student Ambassador. I absolutely love being an Ambassador, and it is by far my favorite aspect of my time here at UNCW. I give weekly tours and work other events for the school. Next year I will be the Vice President for the organization and I cannot wait to take on this leadership role!
HC: What made you interested in being involved with those organizations?
SM: I joined the Equestrian Team because I have been riding and falling off of horses my whole life. As embarrassing as it is, I am a horse girl through and through. I knew that wherever I ended up for college that I would join the Equestrian Team. As for ambassadors, I thought it would be fun to be a tour guide so I started doing some research on how to apply to give tours here. I found out that Ambassadors are a group that gives campus tours, and I also found out that they do way more than just this. I went to an informational session before their membership process began in the spring and I could see how close everyone was with each other. I thought to myself, “Wow I want to be a part of that.” I applied and made it in and have been loving it ever since!
HC: What is your favorite memory/experience at UNCW?
SM: My favorite memory from UNCW is Spring Break of my sophomore year. I went on a Seahawk Adventures backpacking trip to Cumberland Island, Georgia. It was the best experience and the group that I was with started out as complete strangers, but by the end, we all felt like we had known each other for years. We all still have reunions every once in a while to relive how much fun we had running around an uninhabited island for a week. That trip was definitely something I will never forget.
HC: What is some advice you would give to an incoming freshman?
SM: The best piece of advice that I can think of for an incoming freshman is to join a club or two as soon as you get here. I know that everyone says all the time to “get involved,” but there’s a reason this advice is so popular. Joining an organization is the best way to meet people that you have things in common with, and it’s how you’ll meet the people who will become your lifelong friends. Also, another piece of advice is to use your food dollars sparingly because they’ll go way faster than you think they will.
HC: What are your plans after graduation?
SM: After graduation, I plan on moving to another country to explore a little bit. I want to find another country to teach in and do as much traveling and backpacking as I possibly can before I decide to settle down. I have no idea where I will end up, and the uncertainty is kind of exciting to me!
HC: Fun fact about you?
SM: A fun fact about me is that I should be writing an essay right now!
Whoopsy! Sorry to distract you, Sarah! ?
Thank you for all you do here at UNCW and your wise words of advice!
[Photos courtesy of Sarah McDonagh]