ABOUT Anna
Western Illinois University, Senior
I love my college because…
Western Illinois University is only around 12,000 students. At WIU, all of my professors know me by name, first and last name included. It’s nice to know that my professors actually know me and are committed to making sure I succeed both during school and after graduation. My university is also the perfect size; I can walk to class and run into familiar faces, but I also see new faces every day as well. It’s located in Macomb, Illinois, and it’s the true definition of a college town. Being an annual and avid participant of the Miss Macomb Scholarship pageant has definitely aided to my appreciation of Macomb and all it has to offer me. Finishing as a runner-up this year, I gained friendships with impeccable women, met the mayor, and was interviewed by state representatives and people who have truly shaped our university. On the weekends, you can find me interviewing local people for NEWS3, attending Alzheimers Association walks, canning outside local companies to raise money for the Children’s Miracle Network, and much more. I’ve also bartended on the weekends at a local club in town for the past two years, and they have became like a family to me. Our mascot is the Leatherneck. A Leatherneck is associated with the armed forces and Marine Corps specifically, and we are the only school in the nation to call ourselves Leathernecks as our mascot and have the permission to do so. How lucky am I that I get to call myself a member of a school whose mascot represents those who have risked their lives past and present, for the freedom of our country? Not to mention, the sunsets that lay over the cornfields remind me every day that I truly go to school in God’s country. I am proud to be a Leatherneck, and wouldn’t ever want to be anything else. GO NECKS!
I really hate when…
people make fun of others who are different. Everyone was created to make a mark on this earth. I am a strong advocate for people with special needs and even have done news coverage and interviewed athletes who compete annually in the Special Olympics. The biggest disability you can have in life is a bad attitude.
I major in…
Broadcasting with an emphasis in News and Performance, accompanied by a Dance minor. Being in the dance program on scholarship and dancing my whole life made dance becoming my minor an easy decision. Although, a dance minor at my university is almost 30 credit hours, which is respectively another two semesters in credits on top of my major, graduating on time has been my main motivator and I’ve been taking classes diligently through the summer. My parents divorced when I was very young and I saw all of the hard work my mother put into affording dance lessons and costumes as a single parent. Seeing how hard she worked, I made a promise to myself that if my mom would invest that much time and money into doing something I love, I would dance the rest of my life. I was on Poms all four years in high school and was captain my senior year; I really enjoy taking on leadership roles. After graduation, I hope to be the same motivator for high school girls and teach dance part-time and possibly become a high school dance coach. I know how much my dance coach inspired me and helped me earn my passion for dance and I want to be that same motivator for women one day as well. My major is broadcasting. I originally was in the business field and I wasn’t happy, so the end of the sophomore year I decided to stop chasing my parents’ dreams and chase my own. I haven’t looked back ever since. I grew up as a child without cable television, which sparked my interest in broadcasting at a very young age. I would be watching The Price is Right, Oprah, and nightly news on the daily. I grew up watching news anchors on my local NBC WEEK25/ ABC HOI19 and I’m blessed to be interning there this summer. I hope this internship opportunity leads to a full-time offer after graduation or opens new doors for me. I love sharing the news with people. If there’s one thing that doesn’t seem real sometimes it’s television. Reality TV nowadays is now scripted and isn’t actual reality. Interviewing well-respected people in the city of Peoria and all of central Illinois makes me feel very humbled. I hope to share the news with my local peers and who knows, you might see me on Good Morning America someday!
At school, you can find me…
dancing. I was the five-sport gal in middle school, the dance team captain, and have continued to stay involved in college as well. I first became involved with the dance program where I receive scholarship money called University Dance Theatre. I have been involved for six consecutive, going on seven semesters all while spending over 300-hours dancing, serving as Vice President, and now Social Media chair. The second sorority recruitment hit, I was totally in. I received my #1 choice and my soon-to-be “Big Sis” was recruitment director and said I was ranked #1 to be a Delta Zeta out of the hundreds of girls that went through recruitment. I was the only freshman in 2013 to hold a position in my sorority. Starting as Sunshine chair who is someone that is cheerful and exemplifies the sunshine in everyone’s life. Since I hit the ground running. I was the number one recruiter my sophomore year, first semester as an active member of DZ. I’ve choreographed and led six dance routines for Variety Show (homecoming and Greek Week co-ed dances with fraternities and multicultural sororities), served as Panhellenic Second Delegate, made it on Panhellenic Executive Board as Sorority Educator, was DZ Activities chair… placing 1st place in all events, and now am Vice President aka Recruitment Director which I love more than anything. Sharing with potential women how much this organization means and has shaped me. I’ve also been Morale Director for Dance Marathon, we’ve raised over $150,000 for the Children’s Miracle Network at WIU. I’m also in Illinois News Broadcasters Association, on head staff for 88.3 The Dog Promotions team, in a broadcasting honors society called Alpha Epsilon Rho, in a dance group called Euphoria Troupe, was Sigma Chi Fraternity’s Derby Darling and featured on their composite, and am also involved with my church in town. I am also an avid Miss Macomb participant, a preliminary pageant to Miss Illinois and Miss America. I have won runner up and outstanding platform essay awards. I also receive scholarship money within the Broadcasting Department (my major) and in the Dance department (my minor) at WIU.
My ideal first date would be…
lots of laughing, watching the sunset, chocolate or ice cream helps too! Or just talking all night and staring into the eyes of an intelligent young man who is well-rounded, funny, social, and has a passion for life as much as I do!
My favorite late night study snack is definitely…
guacamole and chips, mozzarella string cheese, or cottage cheese. That’s the way to my heart.
If I had 24 hours left to live, I would…
donate all the money I had left to church, travel to FIJI, and most importantly, spend it with my family.
If I could change one thing about the world, it would be…
for people to be more open-minded and have a more optimistic outlook on life. I feel like a lot of people can become negative or give off negative auras depended on who they’re surrounded by. Life’s a beautiful thing, and there’s MOST DEFINITELY so much to smile about!
If I could give my younger self a piece of advice, I would say…
“You are not an adult, but most certainly are young and still have your whole life ahead of you. Going to class and studying is just as important as socializing. The best thing you can be is an independent, driven woman with values, standards, and class.”
I’m going to be Miss COED 2017 because…
although people have their stereotypes when it comes to pageants, it really has made me appreciate competing and wanting to strive and work for something. My whole life I’ve been surrounded by impeccable, intelligent women who want to change the world and make it a better place, and I’m the exact same way. Not only am I extremely involved, but when I commit to something, I dedicate my whole heart and soul. It’s easier said than done, but I have a genuine care for the people I meet and lives I touch each day. I’m dedicated, fun-loving, a socialite, overly involved, a dancer, a bartender, a leader, but most of all…I’m a real, down-to-earth young woman. I want to be an example for young women and an advocate for those who may not be able to find confidence in themselves and know they ARE WORTH IT, and they are awesome. I love my sorority, I love fraternities, but most of all…I love being a college girl. I’m a small city girl with big dreams and I want to share those with the COED 2017 world. I want to show Macomb, Illinois on a map and represent it with true and utter pride. Please consider me for Miss COED 2017. And officially, a shout out to Megan for offering me this opportunity to apply! Peace, love, and college.
