Samantha Stephenson describes herself as indecisive, but choosing to attend Stevenson University was an easy decision.
“After visiting Stevenson I felt so cared about,” Samantha said. “On top of that, the campus itself was both relaxing and engaging in a way that made me want to go back. It was the first campus I visited where I felt at home. Many campuses seemed so foreign to me, but Stevenson was a smooth transition. I got excited at the thought of playing beach volleyball on a weeknight or walking across the bridge between classes. The students and faculty were so welcoming and wanted to be there.”
Writing a New Chapter: Samantha’s Experience as an English Major
As an English major at Stevenson, Samantha focused on developing her writing skills. Her courses provided valuable opportunities for growth. Not only was she able to engage with and learn from her peers and professors, but Samantha also took advantage of opportunities for off-campus learning, including attending conferences like the Association of Writers and Writing Programs conference.
“It was my first time ever attending a conference,” Samantha said. “It was a really important piece of my professional growth to be able to transfer my networking skills off-campus.”
Samantha also served as editor-in-chief of The Greenspring Review, Stevenson’s literary magazine. Her time leading the publication was her proudest achievement at Stevenson.
“It’s so fun to lead meetings and host amazing events that are centered around creative writing,” Samantha said. “Our members are amazing people who are so fun to be around. Students really appreciate it when we give them opportunities to express themselves on campus. It’s great that every year we create this amazing final product that many students value!”
Samantha especially enjoyed being able to plan the magazine’s poetry competition, the Verses Competition, the same contest she won as a sophomore.
“To have my work validated by the professors and other representatives of Stevenson that I respected was a great honor,” Samantha said. “Then, planning that same competition two years later, it felt great to give students the same opportunity I had to explore their writing and put themselves out there for other students to see.”
A Full and Varied Campus Life
In addition to her studies and work with The Greenspring Review, Samantha enjoyed an active campus and extracurricular life. As president of Stevenson’s Food Recovery Network, Samantha organized food recovery—enabling students to take leftover food from dining halls and donate it to local homeless shelters.
During her four years at Stevenson, Samantha also DJed at Wild Stang Radio, the school’s student-run radio station, and worked at the Writing Center, where she helped other students improve their writing.
Samantha’s Advice to New Stevenson University Students
“When you start college, it’s scary. Everything seems unfamiliar and it’s hard to be confident in what you’re doing. Remember, everyone was in that place once! So, instead of being afraid to speak up or break the ice with the person sitting behind you in class, try to be the first to say hello. It’s a small thing, but that might start a friendship with them or someone else. Odds are, the other people around you are nervous too!”
