Role: Campus Correspondent
Year in school: Sophomore
Favorite color: Blue
Zodiac sign: Scorpio
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Where are you from?
Salt Lake City, Utah! Austin, Texas initially, though.
Has there been any culture shock moving to Seattle?
Certainly. At first it was a little difficult to differentiate what was different about Seattle and what was just new about college life. The Seattle Freeze is definitely real, but I don’t necessarily think it’s a bad thing. It’s not as if people are mean or unfriendly, rather no one cares for superficial relationships. Not so much a “freeze” as a mutual hatred for small talk and shallow friendships. When you hang out with someone, it’s because you both genuinely enjoy each other’s company and the friendships you make are strong and incredibly valuable. In Utah, superficial and fake friendships felt like the norm. Also, I don’t think there are two cities with more opposing opinions towards coffee. In Utah, the majority of the population is Mormon, and they don’t drink caffeine. As a result, coffee is somewhat taboo and coffee shops are the popular late night hangout spots for rebellious teenagers. Meanwhile, Seattle is known for its incredible coffee and coffee shops are frequented by studying students, reuniting friends, or couples on a first date.
How’d you get involved with Her Campus?
I lived with our current editor! She dragged me out to a meeting my freshman year and now here we are.
What did you do this summer?
For the first half of the summer I stayed in Seattle working as a hostess at Din Tai Fung. I then participated in one of UW’s exploration seminars where I studied abroad in Morocco for a month working on a sustainability project! I would definitely recommend studying abroad, I had an incredible time.
Favorite songs at the moment?
This is a hard question seeing as my taste in music spans across practically every type of music. I’d probably have to go with Ravyn Lenae’s song Spice, or Alexandra Saviour’s song Mirage. I actually help run Her Campus’s Spotify where I put together playlists for different vibes or activities. You should definitely check it out!
Do you have any role models?
It’s pretty basic, but JK Rowling is probably one of my biggest role models. As someone who understands the importance of perseverance as well as compassion, she is an excellent example of someone who has thrived thanks to these qualities. From having Harry Potter turned away by seven publishers, to being the only person to lose billionaire status because she donated so much of her money to charity.
Give us some coffeeshop recommendations.
In terms of what’s close to the university, I love Cafe Allegro and Slate Coffee Roasters. My ultimate favorite coffee shop in Seattle is Cafe Marozco. It’s downtown and shares a building with the KEXP radio show as well as a vinyl store. It has rotating coffee roasters so you can try different types of coffee depending on when you go! One of my closer favorites is Broadcast Coffee in Roosevelt. They’re fairly popular, so if you want to get a spot you should definitely head there early.
What’s one piece of advice you wish you could give your freshman self?
Don’t stress too much about figuring out what you should be doing with your life! Pay attention to what you enjoy and let your passions and skills guide you to what brings you fulfillment. Everything will figure itself out eventually.
And finally, favorite pizza toppings?
Green bell peppers and olives!