While attending high school in a relatively small Midwestern town, getting into an elite college wasn’t exactly at the top of Amy’s concerns. In fact, she didn’t even hear about Penn until the month before the early decision application deadline.
“I got a letter about this event where representatives from a few elite colleges were going to speak and answer questions. I hadn’t thought much about college at that point, but my dad encouraged me to just go and see what it was about,” Amy said. “At the panel, I remember I was immediately drawn to the Penn presenter and basically decided right then and there that I wanted to apply early.”
And, lucky for the now-Penn sophomore, it all worked out. On campus, Amy is a writer for 34th Street Magazine, a reporter for The Daily Pennsylvanian, and a copy editor for both publications. She also has a work-study job at Van Pelt Library, where she is responsible for stacking and organizing books.
“Basically, if I’m not studying or working, I’m writing. And sometimes I’m doing all three at the same time,” Amy said, adding that she didn’t really discover her passion for writing and journalism until she came to Penn.
Now, back home in South Dakota, she has spent the vast majority of her time in quarantine cross-stitching while watching either Youtube commentary videos or Netflix sitcoms. If she is not doing that, Amy is most likely baking vegan desserts, doing Chloe Ting workouts, or journaling.
Amy didn’t originally apply for the role of ACLP Writer, but after discussing with the board, they agreed that her past experience as well as her passion for storytelling made her the right fit for the position.
“During the interview, Simi and Naphekie explained what kind of articles and blog posts they were looking for, and I immediately knew that I wanted in. I already loved the entire mission of ACLP and the work they were doing, so having the opportunity to write for such a meaningful audience was really exciting for me,” Amy said.
As for her major, Amy is still extremely undecided. The only thing that is completely out of the picture, she jokes, are STEM-related fields. She has considered almost everything else, from political science to English to sociology.
“At this point, I’m not too worried yet. I know I still have lots of time to figure things out, and I think, for me, playing it by ear is the best idea. Just thinking about where I was before my first semester, versus before my second semester, versus right now, I’ve already learned so much about my interests and passions, and I can’t wait to keep going,” Amy said.