Name: Alyssa Gorenberg
Year: Senior
Major: Actuarial Mathematics
Hometown: Vernon Hills, IL
Fun Fact: I would eat sushi for every meal for the rest of my life if possible.
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Her Campus: So, I know you’re incredibly involved in campus both in and out of Greek Life. Could you talk a little about your involvement?
Alyssa Gorenberg: I am primarily involved in Greek Life. I am currently the Executive Vice President of the Panhellenic Association, but also have served in roles for my chapter, Delta Phi Epsilon. I have been chapter president, Junior Panhel rep, Parent’s Weekend Co-Chair, and most importantly an active member.
Being in Greek Life was not something that I planned on having in my college experience, but it was the best decision I ever made. I feel like everything I have done has helped others, but also shape me into the person that I wanted to be when I came to Michigan.
I also am very active in Hillel. I represented them at a few national and international conferences, plus I went on Birthright with them! Hillel was something I knew I wanted to be involved in since my freshman year of high school (yes high school!) and I have really enjoyed the fact that they strive to make a religious experience a personal one.
The last big chunk of my time is spent with the Department of Recreational Sports. I started working as a lifeguard with them my freshman year and now serve as a building supervisor as well as a co-student coordinator for aquatics. I was really involved in sports during high school so it was really important for me to find a place where I could enjoy working and working out. My co-workers are truly the best and always help me learn and do better in the work place.
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HC: While your activities are diverse, they are all focused around helping people—in the pool, in the Greek system, etc. When did you first become interested in helping people?
AG: I think helping people was something that became a very natural thing for me over time. I am the oldest in my family and always wanted to be a good role model for my siblings and help them succeed and throughout college I have taken on projects where I serve others. I have a strong belief that you don’t have an organization to lead unless there are people there and people won’t be there unless they feel like they mean something to the organization. My philosophy has always led me to ensure that others feel that they are valued; it’s my top priority.Â
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HC: I’ve heard you are starting a new Peer Educator program with CAPS and SAPAC. Could you talk about your goals in doing this?
AG: I started working with SAPAC last semester when I began serving on Panhel Exec and we piloted educational workshops for 11 of the 17 sororities about consent education. Eileen Enright, a member of SAPAC and ADPI, and I have been working really hard to expand the initiative, now called the Panhellenic Peer Educators. We really want each sorority to feel like they have a confidential, knowledgeable, well-trained first responder that is accessible. By having it be one of your own sorority sisters, there is an initial trust between a survivor and a positive first responder who can educate them about options moving forward from an act of sexual misconduct.
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HC: That’s a really amazing program to develop! How will it work?
AG: This program also will incorporate the consent education, which we found went over well when being facilitated by one of your peers. I think we have excellent groundwork to make this initiative reach its full potential and make our community a more secure and comfortable one. I also think that sexual misconduct will be a problem until it doesn’t exist anymore. This isn’t a problem one demographic or one organization is facing and I think if we all work to make a cultural change on campus it would go a long way in making our campus safer for all people! My past experience meeting survivors and supporting my own friends has helped me realize I have a responsibility to make every effort to combat this problem.
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HC: Anything else?
AG: I am so excited that Her Campus is breaking gender norms and heteronormative language by making a female a Campus Cutie! I admire how forward thinking and open this organization has always been and I am so honored to be chosen as a Campus Cutie!