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Laura Young '14 in Italy:
"The trip was amazing." |
3/28/12
Randolph-Macon College student
Laura Young '14 will never forget Freshmen Move-in Day.
"It was also my 18th birthday, and I was sad about having to spend the day with people I didn't know," she recalls. "But I was welcomed by everyone: Macon Movers, my
Resident Assistant, the Orientation Leaders and other students." It wasn't long before she felt right at home.
"I also remember one of the first nights at dinner in Estes, where I saw upperclassmen running up to each other excitedly after not seeing each other all summer," she says. "I wondered if I would make those kinds of friends—and I did! I don’t think I would have found such close friends at a bigger school."
The Prince George, Virginia native is a
communication studies and
political science major. She is also a
journalism minor whose goals include a career in broadcast journalism.
"I've always had an interest in government and politics, and I believe that my majors and minor will be a great background for a career in journalism," says Young, who would love to eventually be a television anchor.
A
Presidential Scholar recipient, Young's involvement on campus is impressive.
She's a
Resident Assistant, secretary of
Delta Zeta Sorority, sophomore class president and a member of the
Leadership Fellows Program. In addition, she finds the time and energy to be a member of the Committee on College Life and the "Lunch Bunch"—students who meet with R-MC Trustees once per semester. As Senior Features Editor for the
Yellow Jacket newspaper, she has the opportunity to hone her writing skills and meet new people.
"I really enjoyed writing for my high-school newspaper and started writing for the
Yellow Jacket during my freshman year," says Young. "We have a great staff and we've made many updates to the paper since last year. We are always trying to improve and modernize our efforts to get the news out."
During
J-term 2012, Young traveled to Italy via The Heritage of Christianity, a course taught by Chaplain Darrell Headrick and Dean Kathryn Hull. Travelers visited Venice, Florence, Assisi and Rome. J-term affords students the opportunity to travel abroad and immerse themselves in another culture. Students can also participate in an internship or take an on-campus course. Young sent
blog entries to R-MC during the trip.
"From Florence, we went to Siena, a smaller, quieter town compared to Florence," she wrote. "We went to Siena's cathedral, Duomo di Siena. There was a great deal of beautiful artwork there, and it was a very spiritual visit." The group then headed to Assisi. "Assisi's claim to fame is being the birthplace of St. Francis, a well-known and beloved Catholic saint," wrote Young. "We went to the Cathedral of St. Francis and the Cathedral of St. Clare, and then we walked outside to see a beautiful sunset over the mountains."
Young says the travel course was one of the best experiences she's had during her college career.
"I knew I couldn’t travel for too long—I'm just too busy on campus—but J-term gave me the opportunity to travel for a few weeks. The trip was amazing: I bonded with friends and sorority sisters, and I also got to know people in the R-MC community who I may not have otherwise met."