What is your preferred name? What is your major and minor?
Dori. Psychology major and American Sign Language minor.
What are some of the jobs you held while at McDaniel?
Resident Assistant, Head Resident Assistant, Admissions Ambassador, and this semester I’m an ASL tutor!
What organizations were you a part of at McDaniel? What positions did you hold?
Swing and Ballroom Dance Club Co-Founder and Co-President for two years; Alpha Phi Omega Service Vice President for my first semester, Pledge Mom for one year, and Secretary for one semester; Honor and Conduct Board member, and many internships.
Did you enjoy your time at McDaniel? How?
I don’t want to leave McDaniel! As soon as I got to campus, this school became my home. I actually stayed on campus every summer– I never left! I’m sure this is everyone’s response, but the people that you meet here are amazing. Whether I’m meeting people through work, or I chat with someone just because I’ve seen them around almost every day for a year. Everyone is so nice, which was such a culture shock when I got here freshman year. I’ve loved that even though it’s such a small campus, I could set myself up for completely new experiences all the time, and meet a whole new group of people.
Who do you think is/was your best mentor(s)?
This is maybe the hardest question on this list. As I mentioned before, the people here have been my favorite part. The number of faculty and staff that have gone out of their way to help me navigate life decisions, that have cried with me, laughed with me, brought me coffee on a bad day– I could go on and on. The support that I’ve felt here has made such a deep impact on me. It’s one of the reasons this school felt like home– I had people stepping in as family. This has come from faculty, my admissions family, and my RA staff. The people here have truly become my family.
What is your best memory at McDaniel?
My favorite memories here have been travel. I was born and raised in MD, and had barely left the state when I got here freshman year. Exiting my senior year, though, I have been to three countries and have decided to move to the West coast! Traveling with the Jan. Term courses was the best decision I’ve ever made. Quite literally, my whole world has opened up! I plan to continue to travel and experience as much as possible.
What are your plans for after graduation?
I’ve decided to take a gap year before I go to grad school, and I want to do that in a new place, so now I’m in the process of applying for jobs in Arizona! In June, I will be taking a U-Haul across the country with my cat!
What advice can you give to those not graduating?
My advice: apply for everything, but know your limits. I’ve spent a lot of time focusing on what looks good on a resume, but forgetting to take care of myself too. Find a balance. Find your limit. Learn when to take a step back and say no. This took me a long time to learn, and I’m still working on it.
