Name: Amelia O’Donnell
Year: Freshman
Hometown: Cleveland Heights, OH
Major: Middle Childhood Education major with a Math and Science concentration
What made you pick Xavier?
I wanted a smaller campus with smaller class sizes that had a community-feel and service opportunities. Also, it had to have a big sports team!
How important is service work to you?
Service is very important to me. I’ve been doing service work since sixth grade in my after-school program called ODA (Open Doors Academy). I’ve done service all over Cleveland, and for five summers I spent a week in Harlan, Kentucky, working to build and fix houses for low-income families. This summer, I traveled to Honduras for a week to volunteer at different schools.
What has been the most eye-opening experience in your service so far?
Going to Honduras was shocking. I always heard about third-world countries and the poverty there, but to experience it firsthand was really eye-opening. Just to see the houses, what they lived in, the fact that the kids don’t have shoes… It’s really sad. We brought them suitcases of school supplies, and they were super grateful because most of the schools didn’t’ have supplies. The kids had to share pencils and other materials.
How’d you choose your major? Did it have anything to do with your love of giving back to the community?
I’ve always wanted to be a teacher. Growing up in my school district I saw a lot of kids that didn’t have safe homes or the right resources to get the best education, but I saw my teachers going out of their way to help them be successful. I want to pay that forward and help kids that may not always have the best future, have the best future they can.
Was there one teacher in particular who stood out to you?
My first and second grade teacher, Ms. Siegel, made sure that everyone was included in the classroom, and she worked extremely hard to make sure everyone was successful whether or not they had the resources at home. She always made sure that we were aware of other cultures, too, which was really important for my district because it was so diverse. Her class was definitely very loving and accepting, and that’s something I want for my class in the future.
What’s one thing you wish people were more aware of?
I wish people were more aware of the injustices going on in the world, specifically the United States. I think that people tend to turn a blind eye to things that don’t affect them directly, but people need to open their eyes and expand their views of what’s going on and then fight for what they believe in.