Skyler Wilcha, President of the Class of 2015

Maybe you spotted Skyler Wilcha rocking a sparkling pink dress on the red carpet during Battle of the Classes. Maybe she handed you a cup of apple cider on the quad after you submitted a Senior Gift idea. Or perhaps you heard her close Candlelight with A Prayer for Woodland Travelers. As President of the Class of 2015, Wilcha dedicates every day to helping her sisters have an amazing senior year and leave a lasting legacy at Chatham. Read on to find out why this Biology major fell in love with the Woodland Road.

Why did you choose Chatham?

I wanted to go to school in a city, however I wanted to stay in Pennsylvania. Therefore the choices were Philadelphia or Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia was too close to home. I was accepted to Duquesne and when on a visit to check out the school my father and I got lost. We were driving around for an hour and pulled over to turn around in Chatham’s campus. We decided to park the car and look around. I fell in love with the campus. It was so beautiful and so when I returned I applied. The rest is history.

You’re a senior now. Since arriving on campus as a first year, what’s surprised you most about the Chatham experience?

It was surprising to me that the students knew and were friends with the dean. Many of my cousins and friends who were already in college could not even tell you the name of their president and dean, and Chatham students are invited into their homes.

What are you studying? How did you choose it?

Biology. I wanted to help people, and social work makes little money. So a biology major was the key to a career in the medical field. 

You’re the Microbiology Lab Assistant. How did you get that job? What do you enjoy most about it?

There was a work-study position open so I applied for it. I enjoy working with live organisms. I love taking care of things and microbiology requires attentiveness and maintenance.

Did you always know you wanted to go into the sciences? When did you know definitively that it was something you really wanted to pursue?

No, I originally wanted to work in advertising. I wanted to live in New York City and write and design funny commercials and ads. After taking three years of graphics in high school, I decided I couldn’t sit at a desk in front of a computer for the rest of my life. So I decided to do the complete opposite of art and business, and that was biology.

What advice do you have for high school women considering a science-related major in college?

Stick with it. Don’t back down or change your mind. We need more [women].

What is your history with Chatham Student Government?

My sophomore year I was a student rep and President my junior and senior year.

Why did you decide to run for Class of 2015 President in your senior year?

Because there was so much of a learning curve my junior year that I decided to stick with it.

What do you love most about being a part of CSG?

I love the advocacy. There is so much behind-the-scenes work we do to fix the things that mean the most to students.

What are your main goals for this year as President?

Senior gift. I really want to raise enough money to leave an amazing patio space with a timeless legacy piece that sums up our 145 years of sisterhood.

What is senior gift this year? How can people contribute?

The senior gift is renovating the Carriage House patio. The bricks are uneven and it is not a very inviting place. We would like to resurface the floor and maybe add some new outdoor furniture. But most importantly we would like to leave a legacy piece. We are not quite sure what that will look like. It is hard to sum up 145 years of Chatham History into one sentence. How can people contribute? Donate Donate Donate!!!! Every little bit helps, and please participate in our upcoming fundraising event next semester.

Class of 2015 won BOTC this year! How did it feel? What did you love most about the performance?

I felt amazing. It truly is so much work to put on a performance like that. I think my favorite part was the pizza. Everyone was truly surprised and Liz Sawyer did an amazing job. 

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned about leadership from your time on CSG?

It is hard to be a leader and a friend. I often have a hard time asking my board members to do work. Mainly because I know how busy they are and how many hats we all have to fill. 

Skyler pictured second from right

What do you love most about Chatham?

The relationships I have formed. I have made so many great connections and friendships with peers and professors alike. It really is not what you know, it is who you know. I used to hate that line. But it now means something different to me. To me it means there is a lot to be learned from every person you meet and make relationships with.

Now that you’re about to graduate, what advice do you have for the Class of 2018 and future first years to make the most of their time at Chatham?

The best advice I can give is: you will never regret going to class. Education is something that we take for granted. Do not waste a second of your time here. Absorb everything for yourself and the people in the world who don’t have this opportunity.

Speed Round!

Which female scientist do you most admire? Why?

Rosalind Franklin because someone should. Really because we all know she was the one that discovered the structure of DNA, and she died the year my mother was born!

Describe the Class of 2015 in three words.

Busy, resilient, and fun! 

Suppose you can design one course at Chatham with an unlimited budget. What is it?

Cultural norms class! Where you learned all the foods, habits, idiosyncrasies, and customs of popular and not so popular cultures. Then at the end you traveled to those places. 

Where is your favorite spot on Chatham’s campus?

It is the walk from the quad to Anderson. The view is just breathtaking.

Childhood Dream Job:

I wanted to be a teacher because they got summers off.

Current Dream Job:

I want to fix vaginal fistulas in third world countries, or own a food truck and travel around the United States.

Suppose you get to step into a time machine and spend one week on campus during any year since Chatham’s founding. Which year do you pick and why?

1920, because I know Chatham did not comply with prohibition!

What’s your favorite Chatham food?

Brussels sprouts.

L to R: Jenny Schollaert, Skyler Wilcha, Sarah Jugovic, Sam Elbaz

All photos courtesy of Skyler Wilcha

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