This week’s Campus Cutie is funny, adventurous, and very involved on our campus! Meet USD senior, Laura Tressel.
What year are you at USD?
I am a Senior.
What is your major?
I am an English major and a Business Administration and Communication Studies minor. I’ve loved English since the beginning of high school and I knew it was the one thing I wanted to study. I know it might be more difficult to get a career from just English, so that’s why I added the Business and Communication elements. I love reading and writing.
What would your dream job be?
To be an editor for a major book publishing company. It takes a long time to work up to chief editor, but that would be my dream job.
Where are you from?
The Bay Area—Concord, California. It’s not a very exciting city, but it’s home. It was cool growing up around those big cities—San Francisco and Berkeley.
What led you to choose USD?
My older brother actually went to USD. I’ve never had an official tour, but I did visit him here. I almost didn’t apply because I didn’t want to go where my older brother went, but I applied anyway. Out of all the schools I got accepted to, I thought USD had the best program for English and the best environment. I really like the opportunity to live so close to the beach and in warm Southern California. I’m really glad I chose USD. It’s small enough where you feel comfortable and not overwhelmed by the amount of people, but it’s big enough that you meet new people.
What do you like most about living in San Diego?
I’m a sucker for sunsets! Anywhere I go, seeing an amazing sunset is my favorite part. San Diego has the best—they’re spectacular.
What are you involved in on campus?
I am a tutor at the writing center, I am a copy editor for the USD Vista, I do a work-study at the Sports Center, and I went abroad to Florence, Italy.
Do you like working for the Vista?
I love it—it’s great. This is my first semester doing it. I remember when I was a Sophomore, thinking I could make so many changes to the newspaper. Last year I finally applied for the position, and I got it. It’s like working in a real newspaper environment. We work really hard. It’s challenging to meet the deadlines and work with so many different personalities, but it’s also really exciting. It is super rewarding when we go to print.
What do you like to write about most?
It is not my job to write articles—I am technically the grammar editor, so I edit all of the articles. I have written some articles this semester, though, for certain sections of the paper. I do like writing about controversial topics.
In your free time, do you have any favorite TV shows or activities off campus?
I really enjoy working out. I don’t do it as much as I have in the past, because I don’t have a lot of time, but it is a good stress reliever. I also love watching cooking shows, and in contrast to that, I also love watching serious shows like Sons of Anarchy and Game of Thrones. I like watching those mind-twisting shows, and also cooking shows that calm me down!
How do you relieve stress, especially with finals coming up?
I’ve been dealing a lot with stress this semester—it’s been rough! But taking care of your body—eating right and working out—is really good. I also like to write, so if I’m feeling really stressed out, I have a journal and I write in it and it helps me. It may not work for everyone, though. Also, talking it out! I try and talk to my roommates, or boyfriend, or my mom and that definitely helps. Even crying, honestly—it’s good for you! Let it out!
How was your experience abroad?
It was amazing. I studied abroad last fall and it was really great. I didn’t know what to expect. I knew it would be a cool experience but just experiencing another culture, and learning the things I did—my favorite part of studying abroad was learning things in the classroom that I was actually able to apply to where I was. I was taking a literature course of the Grand Tour of Italy and we would read about Italy, and then actually go out into the city and see and experience what we were reading about.
What is your relationship status?
I am in a relationship. I met my boyfriend when I was studying abroad. He’s Italian…we met at a bar, but started hanging out. I had all these warnings in my head about dating someone from a different country. He’s a great guy and it worked out. We are now in a long-distance relationship.
Is there a language barrier with your boyfriend?
There definitely is a language barrier, but I wouldn’t call it a barrier—it’s exciting! His English is good and has been improving, and my Italian is not perfect, but over the summer I was staying with his family and that helped me improve it. His mom doesn’t speak very much English but through having conversations with her, my Italian has improved. It’s cool, because I get to learn a new language and teach my boyfriend some of the English slang.
Do you plan to live in Italy? Where is your dream location to live?
Right now, I don’t think I have a dream location to live. I’m still in the mindset of wanting to see different cultures and live in different places. I am looking at jobs in London and trying to live over there for a little bit. I know it’s super expensive, but it’s been a dream of mine to live there! I’ve never known where I want to work or live, but I am open to living anywhere that I can experience life through new cultures.