Choosing a Double Major
I chose criminal justice as my first major because I want to help people - plain and simple. I find that my main source of happiness comes from serving others and seeing their success. I also want to be an advocate for people with mental health issues which is something that the criminal justice system tends to unfortunately lack in. Since there isn’t much understanding of what people might be going through, we seem to put a label on someone and perceive them as dangerous. When in reality, it may just be a cry for help. I chose human development family science because I want to study how us as humans develop whether it be physically, emotionally, socially, or mentally. Being able to study how people feel and behave can potentially help answer the question of “why did this person do this”. Also, it could also help give proper treatment plans for those people suffering from said mental illness.
Overcoming Obstacles in College
My biggest struggle in college so far was moving far away from my family. I had never lived on my own before, nor have been away from my family for these long periods of time. When I was a freshman, it didn’t even take me a week into my first semester to call my mom crying and begging her to bring me home. I had gotten a parking ticket, had my credit card info hacked, and missed my first class all on the same day. I felt like it was a sign from God saying that I wasn’t ready to face this next chapter in my life. But now; I see it in a whole new light. God gave me all of those challenges within that short amount of time to show me that I could get through anything that college threw at me. And I am so happy I decided to stay at Mount Union. I have become a better person than I ever thought I could’ve.
Impactful Faculty and Staff Members
Miss Amy, from the Integrative Core Department. From the moment I stepped foot on campus and sat through her speech during orientation, I knew I could always go to her for support. It makes my day all the more special when I get to pass her in the halls of KHIC. She knows me by my name and asks how I’m doing. It reminds me that there are people at Mount who truly care about me and how I am doing. Someone else I’d like to highlight is Dr. Melissa Muller. She has been my academic advisor since my freshman year and was my professor for my FYS class. She is one of the few professors on campus that I share a genuine friendship with. No matter what problem I had going on from class troubles, to scheduling conflicts, to issues with how to balance my life out, she is always there. I will never be able to thank her for the impact that she has left on me. And finally, I want to give thanks to Dawn Daugherty. Dawn was also picked as my Go-to-Raider when I was first accepted at Mount Union. I remember the first day that I met her at Orientation, she had helped me choose my first set of classes. No matter what I needed assistance with, I could text her and be able to speak to her in her office within 30 minutes. Her overwhelming support and encouragement has gotten me through a lot of difficult times the last two years. And for her as well, I’m extremely grateful. Dawn has done more for me then she may realize. The professors and staff at Mount Union go above and beyond their expected roles.