Q: What’s involved in running an event like Founder’s Day?
A: It takes a lot of planning and a lot of volunteers and a lot of money. There are subcommittees for all the different components — decorations, vendors, the rides, the bands. The budget is $50,000, and we only get about $36,000 of that from the VSA [Vassar Student Association]. The rest we have to either raise through donations or make by selling merchandise.
Q: How did you get involved in Founder’s Day?
A: When I was a prospective student, my future roommate and I came to visit friends at Vassar, and it was the night before Founder’s Day, so we kind of knew what Founder’s Day was. And then the following year, when we were freshmen, there was a poster recruiting students to be part of the committee, and we thought it’d be great to do it together. So we signed up, and they gave us the rides and games subcommittee. We got to learn the committee structure and see how it all worked. And the next year, we cochaired the decorations subcommittee, and now this year I’m cochairing the whole event. It’s a huge event, so it really helps to have some experience.
Q: It sounds like a lot of work! What do you get out of it?
A: I like being part of these longstanding Vassar traditions because I feel like I’m part of Vassar history. Last year, I was also a Daisy [sophomores who carry the 150-foot-long chain of daisies at Commencement]. The day of graduation, all of my friends — we got to carry the long chain of daisies and wear white dresses, and the guys were ushers, so they wore navy blue blazers and ties. It’s more than just a Commencement tradition. We worked with the seniors the whole year and bonded with them. We helped with the Halloween event, and with 100 Nights and 50 Nights, and we worked some of the events during Senior Week. Traditions are important to me. And you make good friends — lifelong friends.
Q: How did you choose Vassar?
A: I live on Long Island, so I wanted to be close to home, but not too close. I was looking at liberal arts colleges. My parents really wanted me to be on a campus as opposed to, like, NYU in the city. So the first time I came up, it was rainy and cold, and I wasn’t convinced, but the second time, it was a beautiful day — Columbus Day. It was fall, so the leaves were changing, and I was like, okay — this is it. I can see myself here. So I applied early decision.
Q: What was your first day on campus like?
A: It was a bit overwhelming! The Bandana People [students who volunteer to help on move-in day] just descended on our car and started taking all of my belongings out, and I was like, where do I go? I don’t know what to do! So I just followed the line of other students through the entrance, and there was a table where they handed out room keys, and I met my student fellow. I knew my roommate — we had requested each other. Actually, I knew her cousin, and I had met her once or twice. We thought, we know each other, we trust each other, so it’s a good start. I had never lived with another person before — shared a room — so it was an adjustment, but it worked out really well. The Student Fellow Program really helped me a lot in terms of adjusting from living at home to living in a dorm.
Q: Did you come to Vassar planning to major in neuroscience?
A: I came in thinking biology, because I was kind of thinking about pre-med. So I took biology and chemistry courses, and I really liked them, but then I decided to take a psychology course. I really liked the biological aspects of psychology — the structure of the brain, the way neurotransmitters function, their effects on diseases and disorders. So I was like, okay, I could really do this. I like this.
Q: Tell me about your field work experience.
A: This semester I’m doing field work in dentistry because I’ve decided to go to dental school. I’m shadowing a Vassar alum who is in the area. I go once a week to observe, and eventually she’s going to teach me to assist and how to make models and things like that, so it’s really exciting. For someone who’s not 100 percent sure what they want to do, it’s good to experience the behind-the-scenes of the career to make sure that you really want to do this for the rest of your life. You don’t want to waste your time at dental school if you’re not going to continue on.
Q: What’s the most challenging thing you’ve done at Vassar?
A: Between my first and second years, I went abroad through the Chinese Department to Qingdao University. I went to China not knowing a word of Mandarin. We were submerged in Chinese culture. We had class every day, and then we would venture out into the city and use what we learned. It’s like...survival! You have to use it! So it was a great experience to be immediately putting into practice what you were learning.
Q: You also play golf?
A: I played throughout high school. That’s when I really got into golf. We were the number one team in Suffolk County for a while. So I corresponded with the golf coach at Vassar when I was applying. I was on the team my first year, and then I took a break, and then rejoined the team this year. It’s been fun. It’s very relaxing — a break from the academic stress.
Q: What’s the most important thing you’ve learned at Vassar?
A: I’ve learned to be more independent, to take more initiative, to get involved in different activities and clubs. Living on my own has built my confidence, so I’m not as dependent as I was at home. I have to manage my time a little bit more efficiently and make my own decisions. It’s all on me — it’s not like anyone is looking over my shoulder!
