Ask Alyssa Nieves’s friends to describe her, and many will say “perfect.”
She loves cats. She’s skilled at guitar, ukulele, trombone, euphonium, and singing. Her dad was a body builder; her mother a ballerina. Her older sister’s name is Melissa – and yes, their names rhyme.
She’s involved in Freshman Leadership Council, the Independent Florida Alligator, UF Campus Crusade for Christ, and the Public Relations Student Society of America. She is also Senator Marco Rubio’s former intern.
But the 21-year-old public relations junior says “perfect” isn’t an accurate description.
“Yes, it’s nice and flattering, but I can’t help but chuckle to myself and think, ‘Wow, if they only knew Alyssa gets overwhelmed, frustrated, weary, and even cries from time to time,’” Nieves said. “I’m just good at hiding those emotions, but I assure you, they exist.”
One of the reasons Nieves has been described as perfect is her prioritization and time management skills. She wakes up early when she doesn’t have class to catch up on work. From time-to-time, she deactivates her Facebook because, as she said, “life goes on without social media.”
“Granted, having to say ‘no’ to the things you want to do in exchange for the things you have to do isn’t easy, but that’s adulthood,” Nieves said. “You only have 24 hours in the day, and you ultimately choose what you’re going to devote your time to.”
Right now, Nieves is devoting her time to being the Vice Chair of Public Relations for the Freshman Leadership Council (FLC).
“I honestly cannot imagine my college experience without FLC,” Nieves said. “It has served as a foundation and home away from home. I know if I were to ever need anything, my FLC family would be there for me in a heartbeat.”
In FLC, Nieves described being humbled by her fellow members. She said FLC has a richness of diversity and uniqueness that makes being involved within it eye-opening and life-changing.
One of those life-changing events was becoming a mentor.
“I never would have thought becoming a mentor would be such a rewarding experience,” Nieves said. “When I was eligible to become one sophomore year, I instituted ‘Mentee Mondays. During these weekly alliterative adventures, my mentee and I would partake in various activities. We’d talk about serious topics and silly ones as well, and I did my best to encourage, challenge, and motivate him.
“It’s pretty neat seeing him take two mentees of his own this year and continue our family legacy,” she said.
Aside from FLC, Nieves hopes to work in her field outside of school. She said she loves public relations because she loves people.
“I enjoy networking and connecting with individuals – whether they be friends or strangers – on a real level,” Nieves said. “Being able to think critically and creatively to enable organizations to better communicate with diverse publics is perhaps one of my favorite aspects of PR.”
Nieves offered advice for women just starting out in college. Though she admitted she’s not the “wisest gal around,” Nieves said going away for college has taught her a lot.
“Your freshman year is such an adventure – enjoy every moment and take lots of pictures,” Nieves said. “It was my favorite year in college thus far simply because I was experiencing everything for the first time.”
Throughout school, she said to stay focused and strong.
“Don’t be afraid to take risks because those are the moments you learn the most about yourself,” she said. “Make friends who edify you and keep you accountable. It’s such a blessing having those girls you can be vulnerable around and share some of the best years of your life with.
“Most importantly,” she said, “remember your worth as women. Don’t settle or compromise your standards for anything or anyone.”