Why are you attending UO?

The education program here is really great, and it has a social justice focus which is something that’s pretty unique. Additionally, I play ultimate frisbee and I’m on the women’s team here and it’s really great. 

How/why do you want to change the world?

I don’t know if changing the entire world is really in my scope, but I think I can affect individual people. That’s part of the reason I want to be  a teacher. Some of the most influential people in my life have been teachers. I think that especially with young children, you can have such a monumental effect on their lives and help them to do things that they need like reading and writing. What we are taught to do in the College of Education is to treat the whole child, and to think about them as an individual and as a unique personality and to think about how you can best educate them without fitting them into a mold, which is unfortunately how a lot of education is done currently. It’s a pretty cool system to be a part of, to learn how to educate for the child and not in spite of them. So I think that I have the potential to hopefully affect some childrens’ lives, and maybe they’ll go on to change the world and do great things. 

What has been the best part of your college experience?

Frisbee absolutely. I mean, it has changed me as a person, but I really play for the people on my team. I mean, I like chasing circular plastic–it’s pretty great–but that’s not the whole reason I am there. The people on my team are just so incredible and even when stuff is hard, we just learn how to work together in a way that’s really invaluable. 

What are you proud to have been involved with at UO?

Specifically with frisbee, we have been pretty successful, but even if we hadn’t, I think I would be proud to represent the university in the way that i do. Because ultimate is such an awesome sport. We think about players as people and opponents as people, and we try to beat them in the most successful way that we can, which is something that I think is missing from a lot of sports. And in the education department, getting to represent the university in classrooms in the community has been awesome, because kids love college kids, and we get to sort of make an impact on them. 

What are some of your goals after college?

I am going to grad school actually at the University of Oregon for education. I’m also hoping to travel a little bit and get to know some kids from different situations. Since I’m from Eugene, I’ve had a pretty singular focus, so I think seeing some new things and having some new experiences would be really good for me. 

Which fictional character is most like yourself?

I always loved Anne of Green Gables.