Campus Cutie: Jake McDermott

Name: Jake McDermott

Age: 20

Year: Junior

Major: Political Science Minor: Resource Economics Certificate: Public Policy

Hometown: Natick, MA

Job: Teaching Assistant

Relationship Status: Single 

Sign: Capricorn

Describe yourself in three words: funny, motivated, adventurous

HC: How are you involved on and off campus?

JM: I am the Vice President of the Political Science Undergraduate Board, which acts as a liaison between the students and the teachers in the department and helps give the students a voice in the curriculum. I also occasionally go hiking and canoeing with the Outing Club. 

HC: Where can we find your on campus?

JM: You can find me playing guitar in the courtyard of the North Apartments, as well as grabbing a bite to eat with friends at the new Blue Wall of the Campus Center. Sometimes you can even catch a glimpse of me jogging through campus. 

HC: So do you consider yourself athletic?

JM: Athletic is a strong word. Exercise is very important to me and I do my best to stay fit. I also try to eat as healthy as I can, which can be hard seeing as I’m often so busy with classes.  

HC: What are your hobbies?

JM: Playing guitar is by far the hobby I am most dedicated to. I really enjoy watching college basketball (big fan of the Minutemen!) I love to travel; already this semester, I made a 1,000 mile trip to Columbus, OH to visit on of my friends at The Ohio State University and watch their most infamous football games. I also really enjoy the outdoors and hiking anything with a decent altitude. 

HC: What do you think is your best trait (personality and physically)

JM: My best physical trait would be my eyes. My best personality trait is that I am very passionate. 

HC: Who would you say is your celeb crush?

JM: Meghan Markle, who plays Rachel Zein in Suits.

HC: She’s quite a looker, would you say that physical beauty is very important to you in a girl? 

JM: It’s definitely a factor, but not the most important thing. Physical beauty isn’t just about the kind of body the girl has, rather how she looks when she smiles. A good smile is the most beautiful thing I look for in a girl. I consider myself very funny, so she’s gotta be smiling at me. 

HC: So what else do you look for in a significant other?

JM: She definitely has to be down-to-earth and “willing to push the envelope”. She also has to have a great sense of humor. 

HC: What exactly does “willing to push the envelope” mean?

JM: It means she isn’t afraid to follow her own path and doesn’t feel the need to conform to what everybody else is doing. It’s not really a quality, it’s more of a state of mind – like being yourself and not worrying about what other people think. 

HC: So what does your ideal date look like with this kind of girl?

JM: My ideal date would be finding a small club or venue in the city somewhere and catching a relatively unknown artist performing. Music is very important to me, so if she’s adventurous with her taste in music – this could be a great way to bond. Afterwards, we’d hit up a local coffee place and immerse ourselves in the uniqueness of the local community. Trying something new isn’t just getting something you’ve never had from the usual Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts menu, it’s about finding that small, unheard of “hole in the wall” store and asking the owners what their favorite item is off the menu, and then getting that.

HC: What are your plans after UMass?

JM: I plan to take a few years off and hopefully live in Boston, working in Public education. After a few years, I would like to either get a job with the Peace Corps and do humanitarian work overseas, or perhaps go to graduate school and attend a program for Public Policy and Natural Resource Management. 

HC: What is your dream job?

JM: I think my ideal job would be working on the west coast for a non-profit which specializes in environmental justice or environmental sustainability. That could range from educating people or something more technical where I would be working with the capacity of local leaders and governmental officials, in implementing environmentally friendly technologies or practices. 

HC: What is your biggest fear?

JM: My biggest fear is working someplace where I am not constantly challenged, or having a job that I care nothing about. I’m looking for a career to be passionate about, not only a job.

HC: What advice would you give to your freshman self?

JM: I would tell my freshman self to “just chill out – there are events that are out of your control and you’re better off trying to work with them, as work against them.” 

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