Jessica Pellegrino – General Assignment Reporter
In between her classes and student life activities, Bryana Eighmy sits in the back of the Adanti Student Center food court for a moment of silence amongst the chaos.
Eighmy is a special and elementary education major. She is involved in Greek Life on campus as well.
“I am a member of Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority,” said Eighmy. “I have also always wanted to join an organization like Best Buddies, but I don’t think I have the time. And that is one of those things that you really want to devote time to. If I can’t put my all into something, I will not do it. That is just the kind of person I am.”
Aside from being a member of Alpha Sigma Alpha, Eighmy believes in self worth.
“I believe in constantly bettering myself,” she said. “I don’t ever want to get complacent. I know that even when I think I am at my best, I can only get better. I feel like if everyone had a mentality like that, the world would be a better place. Not to say that I am perfect. Nobody’s perfect, trust me. So, I am constantly working on myself, and I always will be.”
Eighmy hopes to get a job in the education field after graduation.
“There are a lot more jobs in Special Education so I will probably start there. But I hope that one day that will be a stepping stone to an Elementary Education job. Like, maybe, there will be a classroom in my school that needs a teacher and I will be right there!”
She does not want to limit herself, however. “Who knows,” she said, “maybe I will fall in love with Special Education. I did field work hours in a Special Education classroom. It is definitely exhausting, but it is no doubt one of the most amazing and rewarding feelings in the world. Their happiness is contagious. Not to mention you can learn so much about yourself from them. I could see myself doing Special Education too.”
Currently, Eighmy is bogged down with the stresses of the English major.
“I have a lot of reading to do,” she said. “Sometimes, it really does feel like way too much. But I like to look on the bright side. College makes me too busy to read, which I used to love to do. So, my classes allow me to read again, which is nice. Like I said before, I never want to become complacent with my life.”
She is a big fan of Harry Potter and recently purchased the new illustrated edition, and cannot wait to read it over winter break.
“With my future career, I want to instill a love for reading into my students early on,” said Eighmy. “If a child does not like reading they are going to have a really big struggle. Reading is a key fundamental skill that everyone needs to possess. It is more than that though. I feel as though reading and writing make good people. Reading teaches you compassion and empathy. If a child cannot become attached to reading, that is going to affect them for the rest of their lives.”
Photo Credit: Jessica Pellegrino – General Assignment Reporter
