Washington and Lee University
Major: Sociology
Minor: Women's & Gender Studies
Extracurricular Involvement:
Off-Campus Experiences:
Favorite W&L Memory: Winter Breaks with the basketball team
Favorite Class: Bus 371- Creative Strategic Planning
Favorite W&L Event: Toss-up between the concerts, Orientation Week, and Homecoming Weekend
Favorite Campus or Lexington Landmark: The Colonnade
How have you spent your summers? I've spent my summers interning in the Music/Entertainment field. After my first year, I worked with an independent promoter and event organizer in Atlanta which gave me experience in grassroots marketing and promotion techniques, as well as event management. This past summer I worked for Rival Entertainment and Center Stage Atlanta. Rival Entertainment is responsible for various events around Atlanta, such as the Atlanta Jazz Festival.
Advice for prospective or first-year students? Use college as a time to not only develop and grow as a student, but also as a person. Approach every opportunity as if it's a gift. If you're the same person when you graduate as you were when you came in, then you have not taken advantage of your opportunities.
When I first visited Washington and Lee in October of my senior year in high school, I had no intentions of coming here. Simply put, I just wasn't sure Washington and Lee was the place for me. I was taken out to a party, and to my surprise the party was in the middle of nowhere and there was zero dancing and to top it off, there was a hot dog eating contest (Weiner's on Windfall). Baffled, bewildered, and shocked did not even begin to describe my feelings then, but does not even enter my mind when describing Washington and Lee now.
The size of the school, which I initially thought was a weakness, is actually a strength. I've had the opportunity to cultivate strong relationships with some truly amazing people, starting from the very moment I arrived on campus. From a couple of wise words from Burr Datz, a joke from Emily Floyd in Advancement, or a hug from Isca in the Co-Op, I had no idea these relationships would occur and I'm extremely thankful for that.
Prior to my pre-orientation trip, I was experiencing the typical nervousness that comes with going away to a school that few people back home had heard of, and fewer could remember (William & Lee). That trip gave me the opportunity to hit the ground running, and I can honestly say I haven't looked back. That's why I really value the opportunity I have been given to make sure incoming first-years have a similarly warm introduction to Washington and Lee.
I believe Po I've always had an interest in the entertainment industry, but was unsure how to cultivate that while attending a small liberal arts university in the entertainment "hot bed" that is Lexington. Enter the Generals Activities Board. Being involved with the GAB has developed, expanded and promoted several skills that are necessary for success in the entertainment industry, and the environment of student leadership on campus has allowed me to get hands-on experience. From setting up a studio session in Wilson for Chiddy Bang, designing a shirt for the Wale concert or negotiating the performance fee for "Right On," I have been afforded truly valuable experiences to grow as a person, as well as a student.
After returning home from Lexington for the summer each year, I'm left thinking "I've got it down," or "I've been through everything in Lexington." And without fail, when I come back to W&L I'm confronted with new experiences and challenges in a variety of places. I wouldn't have it any other way.