Our newest WesCeleb, Amanda Roosa ’16 sat down with The Argus to chat about being a senior interviewer, studying abroad in Melbourne, Australia, and why she's no longer pre-med.
c/o facebook.com
Amanda Roosa ’16 says hello to everyone, and not just because it’s her job. She sat down with The Argus to discuss being a senior interviewer, culture shock, and career changes.
The Argus: Why do you think you were chosen as a WesCeleb? Based on the nomination emails, people have said awesome things about you, including, “She’s a homie.”
Amanda Roosa: [Laughs] Homie, yeah, that was funny. I don’t really know, I think it’s because I’m pretty friendly. I think it’s also because I smile a lot. I like saying hi to people…a lot. If I’ve met them, I’m obviously going to say hi. My biggest pet peeve is when you meet someone and then you cross each other and then you don’t say hi. I also think I’m pretty involved on campus in a lot of different social spheres.
A: What is it like being a senior interviewer?
AR: It’s crazy! I’ve interviewed around 140 kids by now!
A: Do the potential students try to impress you?
AR: Yes! I just want students who want to have a conversation. Sometimes, I get kids who are actually really aggressive, giving me a ton of reasons why they should be accepted. Like, it’s okay; you don’t have to be nervous.
A: What else do you do besides being a senior interviewer?
AR: This is my second year as captain of the softball team, so that takes up a lot of time because I’m organizing off-season practices and getting them together and fun team bonding things! I write a little bit for The Argus. I write for the Huffington Post with other Wesleyan bloggers. I’m also on the Student Athletic Advisory Committee, and I just went over the NCAA legislation proposal form, creating new rules for this year. I also work in the Career Center as a communications and marketing intern. And… I’m also a writing mentor. Which is a lot of fun! It’s so exciting to see them improve; it’s only been three weeks since Writing Program started, but already there has been a lot of improvement!
A: I was looking into that!
AR: You should definitely consider it. I think it has helped my writing, too. I study the structure of essays a lot and now it’s easier for me to structure an essay.
A: Speaking of study abroad, you just came back from Australia?
AR: Yes! It was amazing. I was in Melbourne, Australia. Mel-bane not Mel-born cause I used to get made fun of in Australia because I would say Mel-born. They’re like, “That’s not how you say it.” I got to go to the other side of the world and escape the bubble of America. I realized they were watching our mid-year elections when half of America wasn’t watching our mid-year elections. So it’s a shocker; we should be more globally and culturally aware. Since then, I’ve been trying to be better about reading the news about…everywhere else. We are just so caught up in this bubble.
A: Did you feel a sense of disconnect when you came back to the States?
AR: Oh absolutely. Because we’re so disconnected, it creates a barrier between Americans and other cultures. I think it’s so important for students to go see another country and realize, “Okay, we’re not the only place.”
A: What did you study in Melbourne?
AR: English. I’m an English major. I recently dropped my pre-med route. It was interesting and fun because I got to be creative and analytical, but I realize I didn’t want to do the doctor life. The passion wasn’t there. I was doing it more for other people than for myself. I only had physics left, and I was just like, “I don’t want to do it.” It’s been so freeing ever since. With the amount of free time I had, I was able to re-start up the WesStuffed blog with my friend, where we essentially talk about food in and around Middletown.
A: What was your English class when you were in Melbourne?
AR: I got to take a fun class called Gothic Fiction. We read “Dracula” and “Frankenstein” and “Beloved.” It was a really cool class, and wouldn’t have had the opportunity to take at Wes. I always took a creative writing class. It was interesting to notice the difference between Australian and American attitudes toward studying. I definitely tried to go with the flow more; it’ll all work out in the end. I also joined the surf club.
A: Did you know how to surf before?
AR: No! [Laughs] I learned how to surf and being surrounded by the surf culture helped me mellow out. We would go camping on the weekends on the beach and wake up the next day at like, 7 a.m. and surf.