Chances are if you’ve ever seen Shannon walking around campus she probably had this big old smile on her face. With hardly a dull moment in her daily schedule, this junior psychology major has immersed herself in all that is Marist and has brought joy to the lives of many through her warm spirit and friendly character. She is the newly-elected Vice President of the Class of 2016 and president of Habitat for Humanity, as well as a manager for the football team, a member of the Marist Dance Ensemble, and an Honors student who studied abroad in Galway, Ireland this past fall. Needless to say, she likes to keep busy, and after her recent trip to Oviedo, FL with 26 other members of Habitat for Humanity, Her Campus Marist caught up with her to talk about how she manages to do it all.
HC: So, tell us a little about your experience with Habitat this spring break. What did you do?
SM: We spent 4 days painting 6 units of a townhouse. So, the first day we prepared the grounds for landscaping. Then, the other three days we painted the outside of the house, inside, the garage, the trim. All we did was paint. And every morning an employee from Habitat would come talk to us about what their job entails, so we were learning more about what makes Habitat a success. Everyone was so friendly and excited to have us there, and they even hosted a backyard BBQ for us at one of the employee’s houses our last night, which was a blast, and a great way to end our time in Florida. We had some down time, too, so we spent one of our days off at Daytona Beach and went to downtown Disney for dinner one night. We also went canoeing on a river and while we were canoeing, we started exploring the spring. On our way back down the river, we all got out of our canoes, climbed a tree, and jumped off into the water which I remember as being one of the best moments of the trip.
HC: So how exactly did you get involved with Habitat in the first place?
SM: Well I always wanted to do it in high school but it was never offered, so when I came to Marist and went to the activities fair I signed up right away. I would go to all the meetings and some of the events and then I started to fall in love with the mission behind Habitat. Then the opportunity came to sign up to go on the collegiate challenge my freshman year so I signed up with one of my best friends, not really expecting to be chosen, but we both did get chosen! As the only two freshman going, there was no question I was gonna go, especially because I’d always wanted to do something like that. We went to Arkansas where I had one of the best weeks of my life and made friends for life. I really developed a passion for the club then and what it does.
HC: On a separate note, how did you manage to get a job working with the football team?
SM: So I spent the summer after my freshman year working at Marist and one of my jobs was to be the swipe person at the front desk of McCann, and when the football team came back in early August I got to know the coaches, who were always very friendly. One of the coaches asked if I would like a job with the team and I said sure, so he said he would keep me in mind and a couple months later he emailed me offering me a job for the following spring doing office work and recruiting for the coaches. And then this year when I came back from abroad, I was offered to be a field manager as well.
HC: What exactly does your job as field manager entitle?
SM: The main part of my job is to film practices, but I also help with setting up equipment for practice.
HC: Why did you want to be involved with SGA during your senior year?
SM: Well I’ve spent my three years here on my class board for SGA and I’ve enjoyed working with my fellow board members to put on fun events for our class so I couldn’t imagine not doing that for my last year. I’m really excited about the events we have planned for next year too – they’re already in the works.
HC: What are your plans for the upcoming senior year? Anything you haven’t done yet that you’re trying to fit into your last year – whether it’s classes, clubs, events, etc.?
SM: Oh yeah definitely. One of the main ones is to take better advantage of the Hudson River Valley region and hopefully go on hikes and stuff. I also want to explore Rhinebeck and go to the CIA for a meal at some point. I’m also interested in going outside my comfort zone and taking some of the one-credit courses that Marist offers.
HC: What is your favorite part about campus, and why?
SM: I actually love watching the cargo train across the river because no matter what season it is, whenever it goes by I have to stop and stare. I feel like I’m watching a painting come to life and it’s one of the most beautiful scenes to me. It’s like everything’s still except that one train coming by with all the different colored compartments and it just makes me feel peaceful, I don’t know. (Laughs). It’s a little thing that so many people overlook, but it’s my favorite thing.
HC: You recently went abroad to Galway, Ireland in the fall of 2014. Tell us a little about that – how was it? What were your favorite parts?
SM: Honestly it’s too hard to pick a favorite moment because I loved every second of every day. But what I miss the most are the people and the attitude of the Irish culture which is very relaxed – there’s no rush and no worries which is so me because I’m late to everything and I always procrastinate – things don’t always get done in the most timely fashion, but they get done! The Irish are the friendliest people – they just wanna have a conversation and they’re more than willing to help you out, and even if they know they can’t, they’ll try anyway. They’re so easy to talk to, whether you know them or not. Their accents are a plus too!
HC: Any advice for others who plan on studying abroad?
SM: Go outside of your comfort zone. You might think being in a different country far away from everything and everyone you know is enough, but it’s not. Try new things, explore new foods. When someone says, “Do you wanna go to Venice for a weekend?” – say yes, you know? Don’t be cheap – this is a once in a lifetime chance. Spend your money because it’s worth it. And enjoy every second because it flies by and you’re going to miss it so much.
HC: Lastly, how do you manage to get everything done and still keep up with your work? What is your secret?
SM: I wish I knew… I guess I would say it has a lot to do with how I was raised – I was always involved with different things as a kid while pushing myself to maintain good grades so it’s not much different now. I’m used to it and I just won’t settle for doing nothing. Some nights I don’t get as much sleep as I want but that’s what breaks are for, like when you sleep for 14 hours after coming back from Ireland!
HC: Can you sum up your Marist experience so far in one word?
SM: Wow this is a hard one…there’s been ups and downs but it’s just been a test of who I am and what I want. It’s definitely the most I’ve ever gone through in the shortest amount of time, you know? Like it’s not even me personally, but the people that surround me who have impacted me. Is whirlwind a good word? I don’t know, can I have a thesaurus? (And after pretends to consult a thesaurus). Unpredictable.