Hi there! My name is Annie and I’m a senior in the Darla Moore School of Business with a major in Marketing and a minor in Criminal Justice. That may sound like a strange mix, but I am on the Pre-Law track and have found it’s the perfect combination of two areas I am passionate about! While I’ve called Columbia home for the past four years, I am originally from Cincinnati, Ohio (Who Dey!). Next year, I will be attending law school with plans to purse a career in litigation.
My advice for prospective students: Visit schools! Talk to current students on campus, eat at a local restaurant, go on a tour. This will give you a much better sense of the school beyond the numbers and flyers. You’ll be surprised how helpful your gut is in this decision. Choose a school you feel genuinely excited for -- not excited because your best friend from high school is going there or mom thinks it’s prestigious. This is your home for the next four years, make sure its somewhere you love!
My advice for current students: Do something that scares you. Maybe that’s trying out for a new club, interviewing for a big internship, applying to study abroad, or even just making a new friend in class. No matter what happens, you’ll be glad you did. There is so much growth that’s waiting for you and college is the perfect place to step outside your comfort zone!
My favorite thing about the Honors College: The community of support! I love being surrounded by people as driven and passionate as I am. I’ve found that no matter what your dream is, Honors wants to do everything they can to make it a reality and support you in that journey. Honors feels like a home within USC and I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of it.
My reason for choosing the SCHC: As soon as I heard about the cool courses and Washington Semester Program that Honors offers, I was sold. I loved the idea of being able to take a legal writing and argumentation course as my English credit, forensic chemistry as my science, or the legacy of Anne Frank as my history credit. The smaller, discussion based classes were important to me and I fell in love with how unique the offerings of courses were. Being in a program as academically rigorous as any of the private schools I visited while still having the perks of a big SEC school sounded like, and has been, the best of both worlds.
My hobbies: Discovering new restaurants, running at the Congaree river, trying new recipes in the kitchen, coffee dates with friends, and frequenting pilates or hot yoga classes!
Something that makes me laugh: My four younger brothers because 1. they’re absolutely ridiculous and make the most hilarious comments and 2. I ended up with four younger brothers when all I wanted when I was younger was a sister.
Something I’m proud of: Moving to DC for a semester! Leaving USC and the support system I had built to move to a new city with people I had never met certainly pushed me out of my comfort zone. But it was the best decision I’ve ever made, and I experienced so much personal growth that semester!
My motto in life: I didn’t come this far to only come this far. I think it’s so important to recognize and celebrate where we’ve been and where we’re going. Cheesy quote, but isn’t everyone’s motto?
Favorite childhood memory: Skiing! My mom is from Slovakia and all of her family still lives there, so we try to visit as often as possible. When I was 9, we spent winter break in the Slovak mountains and I learned to ski. While I’m sure a majority of that trip was spent falling, I loved every second of it. I’ve gone skiing every winter since, but it never beats Slovakia!
In a movie about my life, the movie star who would play me would be: Jennifer Aniston. No doubt in my mind. (also because then I could meet her!)
Something I will always do: Bake cheesecakes. For some reason, cheesecake was the first thing 10-year-old Annie ever attempted baking on her own. The next year, I wrote a recipe book for my aunts as a Christmas gift. I’ve definitely improved since then and I love experimenting with new flavors in my free time. My family and friends certainly don’t mind!
Something I will never do: Pull an all-nighter studying. Every time I tried freshman year, I would end up falling asleep over my laptop around 4am. TBD if I keep the same energy in law school.