Q: How did you first hear about Vassar?
A: My aunt went to Vassar and just loved it here — that’s how I heard of Vassar long ago. So when I started looking at colleges, I added it to my list. I wanted a small liberal arts school with good dance and good activism. Despite not having a dance major, Vassar has a really impressive dance program. In fact, I think the program is better than a lot of places that do have a dance major. Plus, if there were a dance major, it would feel much more like a conservatory, and it’d be a much more intense, competitive environment. The way it is, everyone in the company [Vassar Repertory Dance Theatre] does their academics, and everyone is passionate about other things, but loves dance. And that’s what I wanted — I wanted that balance.

Q: When did you start dancing?
A: I took my first creative movement class with Boston Ballet when I was three and a half, and I started the preprofessional intensive track when I was in the third grade. By the time you’re in high school, it’s six days a week.

Q: Did you ever get sick of it?
A: No, not sick of it, but at times it’s sort of like a tormented relationship. It’s a lot of pressure to put on yourself — this strive toward perfection that isn’t possible anyway. I never wanted to quit; I always loved it, but there were definitely bad days. It’s been interesting being at college and doing less dance, because then every class feels wonderful, whereas if you’re doing it all the time, it can’t feel perfect all the time.

Q: You’re double–majoring in English and American culture. What’s the best course you’ve taken so far?
A: One of the best classes was my Freshman Course [a required writing-intensive course, chosen from among 30 offered in various disciplines], the Criminal and the Carceral, taught by Tyrone Simpson. It was definitely an English course, but it introduced me to the multidisciplinary approach. We read historical accounts and sociological writings and also watched films – all of which focused on the U.S. prison system and philosophies of freedom and theories of crime. For the final paper, I worked with texts by one of the authors we’d read earlier in the semester – John Edgar Wideman. Then, the next semester, I actually got to meet him. I was working as Professor Simpson’s research assistant, and we got to have dinner with Wideman in New York City. So that was really cool. And Professor Simpson is now my advisor. So that’s an example of how Vassar’s small classes really facilitate faculty-student relationships.

Q: You were a student fellow in Lathrop House your second year. Will you explain a little about the Student Fellow Program?
A: Student fellows are sophomores who apply to work with Res Life as a resource for incoming students. If you’re chosen to be a student fellow, you’re assigned a group of incoming students in your residence hall, and basically your job is to be a mentor but also just a friend. It’s different from the way it works at other schools where you have an RA on your hall. RAs are more authority figures who are supposed to make sure that people follow the rules whereas student fellows have nothing to do with discipline. Their job is just to smooth the way for new students.

It was really exciting to be a student fellow. I got to welcome in a whole new group of people and try to be supportive of them. I love Vassar, and it’s been such a good place for me. I wanted to facilitate that for other people. I’m still in touch with my fellowees — some I see more than others. We’ve been trying to arrange a dinner at my house after October break. I’m the youngest in my family, so it was cool to be a big sister.

I think Vassar’s Res Life system really works well because there’s such a strong sense of community in the dorms. Actually, they’re called houses, not dorms, and that’s a better word because it describes the pride most people feel about their house and their loyalty to it.