Take a moment to get to know Anna Pellegrini, 2020-2021 Orientation Assistant.

Tell us about yourself. Hello! My name is Anna Pellegrini, and I am a senior from Chicago, IL. I am majoring in Organizational Communication with minors in Psychology and Leadership. I am hoping to attend grad school in fall 2021 and start a master’s degree in Student Affairs in Higher Education. A fun fact about me was freshman year I memorized 87 numbers of pi! (I don’t remember them anymore, haha)

Why do you think it’s important for student’s to get involved on campus? I think it’s important for students to get involved on campus for many different reasons! Being involved allows students to build leadership skills, collaboration skills, communication skills, time management skills, organizational skills, and much more. Being involved allows students to feel connected with the university, faculty, staff, and other students. Being involved can also help you find what you are passionate about! Due to my involvement on campus, I was able to find my passion and it helped me choose a major and career!

What organizations are you involved with? How have these organizations helped you at Missouri State? I am currently involved in Alpha Omicron Pi, where I served as Chapter President last year. I am involved in Student Government Association where I currently serve as the Director of Administrative Services and last year I served as Chief Communication Officer. I am also on the Student Affairs Advisory Board. And I am the Orientation Assistant for the SOAR program. I have been a SOAR Leader for the past two summers. My freshman and sophomore year, I was involved in Traditions Council, and I was the Spirit Events Chair. I was the student representative on the Strategic Enrollment Management – data analytic subcommittee.

Throughout my time at Missouri State and throughout my involvement, I have learned so much. Not only have I acquired many skills such as the ones listed above but I have learned a lot about myself. I have been able to form a leadership philosophy and grow my strengths and work on my weaknesses. I have much more confidence in myself since first starting at Missouri State and I can confidently say that is because of my involvement. And lastly, being involved has allowed me to form connections across campus. These connections range from faculty and staff to other students. I have found mentors and close friends who help encourage me to be the best version of myself.

You have been a SOAR leader. Why did you want to be a SOAR leader and what lessons did you learn? I applied to be a SOAR Leader because I wanted to help welcome and impact new students as they start this exciting new journey of their life! I wanted to show new students why choosing MSU was the best decision they have made! My SOAR leaders were super welcoming and made this large transition much easy and helped calm some of my nerves.

SOAR has truly made a large impact on my life, and I can confidently say that it has helped me become a better leader. SOAR has allowed me to improve my communication skills. I am able to form connections with new people quickly and make them feel comfortable. I am able to think quickly on my feet and form clear answers.

For 2020-2021 you are a Orientation Assistant. Explain why you applied for this position and what do you hope to gain. I applied to be an Orientation Assistant because when I was a SOAR leader, my OA’s were so helpful. They were able to answer every and all questions I had. They had so much confidence in me and it allowed me to gain confidence in myself. I want to be that person for future SOAR leaders! I want to help SOAR leaders become the best leaders they can possibly be. I am wanting to learn more about the student affairs field and see the more planning and preparing the back side of the program. I am excited to work with other campus departments and collaborate to produce the best outcomes!

What advice do you have for family members to help them support their student? Advice I have for family members is this is your student’s college experience and future career/life. Let them be choose the major and courses that they are wanting and are interested in taking and be supportive of that! If they change their major, that is okay! It took me 4 major changes to finally find the correct field for me, and I am so happy and excited for my future.

What’s your favorite MSU tradition? Why? My favorite tradition at MSU is Fountain Day! The fountain is such a great spot to study and to hang out with friends. Fountain Day is where Traditions Council turns on the fountain and throws a huge party with free food, activities, games, and more! It is a great time to hang out with friends, celebrate the university, and welcome warm weather!

What is your best advice for students as they start a new year at Missouri State? Your college experience is not going to be perfect, but it is up to you to make it enjoyable. There will be challenges that come your way but they will not be the end of the world.

What is the best advice anyone gave you about going to college? Do what makes you happy! Join an organization or two or three! Put yourself in situations that will bring you joy! And do not worry about the little things! Have fun!

If you could give your 18 year-old self, advice what would it be? Believe in yourself! The first exam that I failed my first semester, I thought that college was not for me. I wanted to drop out and move back home. However, with the support from my family and friends they encouraged me to try harder and to not give up! Now, I am finishing my senior year and have been making the dean’s list almost every semester! You got this, don’t give up!