What is your preferred name?
Melissa.
What is your major?
Biology with a Specialization in Environmental Science.
What are some of the jobs you held while at McDaniel?
No jobs which is good and bad I guess. I had more time to do work, but didn’t have any money.
What organizations were you a part of at McDaniel?
Green Terror Programs, Beta Beta Beta biology honors society, and the Honors Program.
How much did you enjoy your time at McDaniel?
I loved my time here at McDaniel. It was a great home away from home. I learned and experienced so many cool things.
Who do you think is/was your best mentor(s)?
Dr. Iglich and Dr. Staab were really important mentors to me in the biology department. I took several classes with them and they were very helpful and supportive to me when I would come to them with questions about the class or future plans in biology or life in general
What were some of the challenges you encountered and how did you overcome them?
One of the main challenges I faced was just balancing my time. A lot of college students face this issue of trying to maintain a balance with school, social life, involvement on campus, sports, etc. It is a very hard thing to do and I think I eventually overcame it during my senior year with finally prioritizing what I felt was important to me and working from there.
What is your best memory at McDaniel?
There are so many. I think in general, anytime I got to hang out with my friends and watch movies are some of my favorite memories at McDaniel.
What is your worst memory at McDaniel?
Anytime I got sick. It is always so much harder to be sick when you are away from home because there’s no parent taking care of you 24/7 and doctors’ offices seem much scarier by yourself without your parents. I got sick several times throughout my senior year and each time was the worst experience ever.
What has being part of a sports team at McDaniel meant for you?
It meant being part of a family. Both the men’s and women’s swim team are very close with each other and we really are just one team. We spend so much time with each other in season and we are always there for one another.
What are some of the greatest sports highlights for you?
Winning meets was always an exciting time, but some of the best highlights were out of the pool. It was when we were all together having fun doing something like going white water rafting, or even just eating breakfast together after morning practices.
Were there any times you felt as though you couldn’t continue with sports and what were they?
There were several times when I felt like my body couldn’t handle swimming anymore. I has issues wit my joints and got sick a lot during my senior year. I never wanted to go out like that though. I kept pushing myself to finish on my terms and be happy with the results no matter what.
What are your plans for after graduation?
I have a three month internship at Yellowstone National park. During that time, I am hoping to look into graduate school programs for either next spring or fall.
What advice can you give to those not graduating?
Relax. Make sure you have fun while you’re here. Experience the town and the area. Don’t graduate with any regrets of what you could have done while you were here.
