Senior Week is now here and everyone is excited not only to have last hoorah’s with their fellow Valliant’s, but to also walk across that stage and say they completed 4 hard years of work. Chanda Pen Sar will be one of those students who gets to not only get her diploma, but will get to make a speech to the graduating class of 2017 and their family and friends.
Chanda is from Fall River, Massachusetts and is a Communication Studies major. For all four years she’s been a part of the Manhattanville Student Government Association. She started off as Freshman Class President followed by two years as VP of Student Affairs and lastly the Senior Class President.
People discover their reason to come to Manhattanville in many ways. For Chanda, it was a very spiritual moment. “Kind of weird, but the feeling I got when I stumbled on the chapel. I never have felt God’s presence so strong; I knelt down and prayed I would get my scholarship!” She said.
As for her favorite classes, she has quite a few. Her top three were Woman in Society with Beth Williford, which she believes should be a required course for everyone, Management of Workforce Diversity with Edwin Bowman and Atlas Compass with Gillian Hannum. As for her favorite professor? “Too many to list. Everyone in the Communications Department is amazing!” She added.
Opportunities at Manhattanville vary for everyone and they can lead to even more amazing opportunities. While Chanda has had many different opportunities, there was one that was truly unique. “I think one of the best ones was being the only student representative on the Presidential Search Committee to find our current president, Dr. Michael Geisler.” She said.
Now that graduation is a week away, the pressure for plans is on for many students. However, Chanda isn’t stressed about having a plan. “My number one goal is to continue to be happy! Wherever or whatever that leads me to, I will follow suit! I’m too spiritual not to believe God doesn’t have a good plan for me!” She said. Happiness is truly key especially when it comes to where she sees herself 10 years from now. “Successful and happy. The details are yet to come!” She said excitedly.
It’s time to look forward, but of course everyone has something they’ll miss about Manhattanville. “The proximity of everything and everyone. Not only are the buildings just a five minute (at most) walk away, but the friendships I have cultivated here will remain with me forever; there’s such a sense of community, so long as you find the right people — and it’s even apparent with the faculty, staff and higher administration!” She said proudly.
Now that her graduating class if leaving and a new class is coming in, what advice does she have for students? “College is what you make out of it; don’t be concerned about the bars — everyone eventually turns 21 and is able to experience that! Also, this is the time to truly learn the quirks about yourself and to love every single one of them. So many great things can happen in these four years!” She said.
From planning Senior Week to helping find our newest president, Chanda truly has embraced what it means to be a Valiant and to be a huge part of the community. “To the Valiant at heart, nothing is impossible. Embody this.” She said.