I was born in Roanoke, Virginia, in 2000 and was the middle child of three girls. My family had lived in Roanoke for generations, and for a long time, I felt like I would live there forever as well. I was an introverted kid, and my mom would endearingly refer to me as her “homebody”.

Elementary school was a challenge for me socially, but I found myself from being able to explore the world in books. Starting in middle school I was able to begin taking Spanish classes, and that is when I really discovered my passion for learning about other cultures and peoples. I continued to take Spanish through high school, where I became part of the Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica and was an active member of my school’s Spanish club. Before graduating, I was even able to take a trip to Costa Rica with faculty and classmates as a hands-on experience to use my language skills and experience a foreign culture. In my time at Longwood,  my interests have now evolved into a major in Anthropology and Archaeology.

Besides my interests in language and culture, I also love the opportunity of working closely with people. In high school I earned a leadership position on my school’s color guard team, and since then I have assisted the head coach in teaching skills and choreography during practices. In my senior year I was also given an award by the choir department, recognizing my leadership and excellence in choir as well as my broader academics.

As I have always been adamant about the fact that I wanted to continue living in my hometown, moving to Longwood has pushed me out of my comfort zone in the best ways possible. My first year at Longwood was definitely an adjustment, but joining groups like the Cormier Honors College and the Women’s Choral Ensemble made me begin to feel like a part of a community. Even when we were sent home early during the Spring semester of 2020 due to COVID-19, I felt like I was part of a school that truly cared for its students.

After one year at Longwood where I completed most of my core courses and began to take courses in my major, my second year was when I was able to really expand my horizons and take courses based off of my own interests. At this point I added a minor in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and began to more seriously consider pursuing my Master of Library and Information Science. I mainly attribute this realization to taking Children’s Literature [ENGL 380] during the fall of 2020, although I probably should have realized it earlier with how much I love reading and how drawn I am to the feeling of community and comfort that I have always associated with libraries in general.

Although my time at Longwood feels to be passing by rather quickly and I know I will be graduating in only a year’s time (as of May 2021), I feel that Longwood has done an excellent job of preparing me for whatever will come next for me. The fact that I will be graduating after only three years here fills me with emotion, but the past two years have been an amazing experience and look forward to my remaining year at Longwood as I earn my Bachelor of Science in Anthropology and Archaeology with a minor in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.