Amanda Weinger

Pronouns: 

she/her

Major: 

English  

Hometown: 

Santa Clara, CA

What are your campus involvements? 

Besides being a full-time student, I work as a Student Assistant at the SSU library! Additionally, I’m a proud member of the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society. 

What is your favorite memory or experience at SSU? 

My current roommates are the type of people I've been patiently waiting to meet. For a completely randomized household, I got so incredibly lucky. In less than three months, I have gotten so comfortable with all of my roommates–they are now my closest friends. We've done so many fun activities together like going to concerts, last-minute beach trips, Sunday farmers markets, Wednesday night family dinners. Our initially bare Tuscany dorm is now heavily decorated with things we've all picked out together. Every wall is filled with photos, mementos, and inside jokes. It's no longer a dorm, it's a home. Out of all these memories and so many more, my favorite will forever be meeting them. Not a day goes by that I’m not grateful for these wonderful girls whom I'm lucky enough to call not only my roommates, but my family. 

What has been the most challenging part of your college experience and what did you learn from it? 

I recently added a Philosophy minor, knowing I needed to complete it within this academic year. As a former Hutchins student, I thought it was going to be a breeze since Hutchins, at its core, has philosophical elements. How much harder could it be? The answer is much, much harder. The first couple weeks of my two Philosophy classes, I really struggled. I was truly starting to believe I wasn’t cut out for it. Since I started college, I have been more confident in my academics, but that uneasy I’m-not-good-enough feeling that I thought I outgrew from high school came creeping back in. I considered dropping the minor all together, but I refused to give up on myself. So, I kept going. I worked hard, studied harder, and read a lot. Slowly but surely, my consistent 6/10’s turned to 8/10’s, then 10/10’s. Critical and disappointing comments from my professors turned into “Nice job” and “Great work!”. Now, I’m confident in my philosophical understanding and thinking. This experience taught me that not everything comes naturally, no matter how passionate one may be. No one is inherently “cut out” for anything. What matters most is putting in the effort to get to where you want to be, even if the journey there seems impossible. 

What brought you to SSU, and what motivates you to stay? 

I knew SSU was special from the moment I stepped on campus. There was something inexplicable about the way I felt during my high school tour; it felt like I’ve been there before and something deep inside me knew it’s exactly where I was supposed to be. When I got home, I told my parents that we needed to do a family tour of the SSU campus. They were surprised and thrilled. That following weekend, they saw what I saw and immediately understood why I said SSU is a diamond in the rough. My parents are the reason I chose to go to college, so it was really important to me that they “approve” of my prospective school. Seeing them light up on our tour and be amazed by our quaint and beautiful campus eased that worry deep inside me.

Who at SSU has influenced you and/or made an impact on your journey here? 

Ianthe. Brautigan. Swensen. In the second semester of my first year, I took her LIBS102 class. Ianthe was unlike any professor I had dealt with before. She was extremely hard on my work and seemingly impossible to please. She wasn't pushing me because I wasn't good enough, she was pushing me because I was. I credit her for my growth because I needed that uncomfortable shove. I needed someone to wake me up. I promise Ianthe, I’m awake now.