Elaine Currie

My Path to the UW

          I transferred to UW on January 1, 2018 (the start of winter quarter my sophomore year), and undoubtedly, I would not be in the same place that I am today if I had not applied to the Honors program during my transfer. I left NYU (and all of my friends there) behind and moved across the country in a matter of weeks, stopping for Christmas and New Year’s at home in Chicago. When I first arrived at UW I knew no one. Luckily, I had been accepted to the Honors program and given a room on the Honors floor in Terry Hall, so I knew that I would be among like-minded people. My roommate for the rest of that year was an absolute dream; despite not being best friends we were perfect roommates. Both clean, both invested in our academics, and both obsessed with watching the Winter Olympics. After such a strong introduction to the Honors community, I knew it was where I belonged. 

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          Junior year was a landmark year for me because it was the first year that I was able to move into the Pi Phi house and live with my sorority sisters. I spent most of sophomore year isolated from my sorority, and it was scary moving into a house where I knew virtually no one. Luckily, I had previously met one of the members in an Honors class, so I knew there would be at least one person who was friendly towards me, and shared similar interests to me. The transition to Greek life was much smoother than expected. I became involved in leadership right away and made lifelong friends. I even signed a lease on a house for senior year with 11 other girls only one month after moving in! My leadership position gave me my first opportunity to really advise my peers academically, and I felt driven to continue pursuing this new skill. Luckily, Honors gave me the opportunity to lean into this passion. 

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          Becoming an Honors Peer Educator was the best decision I have made throughout my entire college career. I realized my passion for advising went beyond extracurriculars, and I wanted to make a career out of it. With the help of Honors advisors Claire and Carissa, I applied to grad school programs for higher education administration, and I am happy to say that I have committed to Vanderbilt! I owe so much of my community involvement and leadership ambitions to the confidence and tools that were provided to me by Honors, and I am happy to have all of these major life decisions documented throughout this portfolio for me to look back on someday. 

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