If I were to describe Jayda Mackenthun in three words, I would describe her as positive, compassionate, and determined. I’ve never met a person quite like Jayda. From the friend you call in a crisis to the friend you call to make tik toks with, Jayda is always willing to help others. Among Jayda’s many unique and loveable qualities, she is extremely humble; she is so humble that she sometimes doesn’t notice the impact she has on the people around her. By reading along in this article, you will learn about a young lady who has touched the lives of every person around her.
Jayda joined Riker and me in Lourdes as the Welcome Crew. The night before the freshmen arrived, Jayda helped me feel less lonely by spending time with me and making me laugh.
“How would you describe Jayda Mackenthun?”
“She’s like this crazy ray of sunshine who also seems to bring logic into everything. Jayda is someone you can depend on pretty easily, and she is always up to hang out and eat food whenever—or as long as she isn’t busy. She’s always full of surprises and will catch you off guard with the things she says—usually they are pretty funny.” -Riker Weiler, Age 20, Friend
“She is a little spitfire, but she looks like a cuddly koala.” -Sophia Redfern-Hall, Age 23, Friend
“She is just the most beautiful woman; her soul is just so beautiful! She is so relatable and funny. I tell her everything.” -Mayme Nelson, Age 20, Roommate and Friend
“I would describe Jayda as a calming presence. She is always calm even in stressful situations.” -Myah Anderson, Friend, Fellow UPAC Member
I’ve been to Garvin Heights with Jayda a few times. Somehow, she is just as beautiful as the view.
“How has Jayda Mackenthun impacted your life?”
“She’s been a solid support system for me when I needed her. She’s willing to listen if I need her to.” -Riker Weiler, Age 20, Friend
“She always makes me happy and makes me laugh when I’m around her. You can never guess what she’s going to say next, she always has the funniest comments.” -Sophia Redfern-Hall, Age 23, Friend
“One time I was so sick I couldn’t leave the ground, and I asked her to grab me water at 2 o’clock in the morning, and she did! I am so happy to have her in my life as a roommate. When she gets sassy, it’s so great!” -Mayme Nelson, Age 20, Roommate and Friend
“She has impacted my life by becoming one of my most valued friends and teammates.” -Myah Anderson, Friend, Fellow UPAC Member
Watching movies with Jayda always make the movie ten times better. Her reactions are funny yet relatable. The first time I watched the Lord of the Rings, Jayda and I joked around about Samwise and Frodo’s bromance.
I have had the privilege of getting to know Jayda personally over the past year or so. Now, I want to introduce to you Jayda Mackenthun.
Cheyenne Halberg: If you could describe yourself in three words, what would you choose?
Jayda Mackenthun: Analytical, I love working with data and numbers; cooperative, I’m good at getting along with lots of people; and dependable, I am committed to being a reliable person.
CH: What is your favorite childhood memory?
JM: I don’t think I can pinpoint just one memory but on the whole I have many great memories in relation to visiting my family’s cabin as a child. Some of my favorite activities—there were roasting marshmallows, playing board/card games on the porch, and swimming in the lake all day.
CH: What are your hobbies?
JM: I love reading fantasy, sci-fi, and dystopian books. Basically anything that varies greatly from how the world actually functions such as new languages, political systems, societal structures, physics, species, etc.
CH: What made you decide to come to WSU?
JM: I had done some online research into various schools, but once I took a tour I knew that this is where I wanted to go. None of the other schools I toured could compare with or checked my boxes like WSU did.
CH: I promise I’m not speaking for myself when I say that I am extremely grateful you chose WSU. What influenced you to join Delta Sigma Pi (DSP) and University Programming Activities Committee (UPAC)?
JM: I didn’t get involved at all in high school and wanted to have a different experience in college, so I made a conscious decision to get as involved as possible. I pretty much had a whole scheme. Before coming to college, I signed myself up for the Warrior Expedition and the Global Awareness residential learning community. These were guarantees that I would actually have to be involved. During Welcome Week, I went to as many events and classes as possible since people are more open to making friends during this week. After seeing UPAC tabling at the club fair and DSP talking in my class, I decided that I would join UPAC and pledge DSP.
CH: What is some advice you would offer to new incoming college freshmen?
JM: Get involved. Not too much to the point where you have no time for yourself and are driving yourself crazy, but enough that you don’t spend all of your time in your dorm room. Getting involved in clubs and other organizations is a great way to feel connected to the campus and to grow relationships with other people. Of course you don’t have to join the first club that you show up to a meeting for. You can shop around a bit so that you can find something that is a match.
CH: What is some advice you would tell your younger self?
JM: I feel like this one is tough since a lot of the advice that I would want to give, such as be more confident or get more involved, younger me is probably not ready or able to accept. Instead, I would probably say something like, “It will be fine. Future You can say that things take a turn for the better.”
CH: What are your life goals?
JM: I like having my life goals more in terms of a general feeling. I want to end up in a place where I am confident in myself and proud of who I am and what I’m doing. I want to have relationships where I can open up and be emotionally available. I don’t know exactly how I will accomplish this goal, but it’s what I’m going for.
Jayda is always dependable. She came with me to La Crosse, so I could get my bellybutton pierced. It was pretty spur-of-the-moment, but she still came with and made me laugh when I was super nervous.
(Pictured above is Jayda and her roommate, Mayme. They dressed up for Halloween. Jayda was a devil, and Mayme was an angel.)