Senior business marketing major, Faith Guzzo ’20, didn’t come to Albright knowing what she wanted to do with the rest of her life.
In fact, the Battle Creek, Mich., native switched majors five times over the course of her Albright career.
Career indecision is not uncommon for emerging adults. That’s where Albright’s Experiential Learning and Career Development Center (ELCDC) comes in.
The center offers a variety of services to students, alumni and employers. For students like Guzzo, its staff is there to help them explore academic majors, career paths for their disciplines of study, and experiential learning opportunities that will enhance their collegiate experience.
Thanks to ELCDC’s assistance, Guzzo ultimately landed on a business administration major with a marketing track and a digital media minor. But she found a treasure trove of experiential learning opportunities on campus long before that.
Student involvement has defined Guzzo’s Albright experience. As early as her first semester on campus, she was stepping forward to get involved in student organizations. And she soon learned that having the courage to raise her hand was all it takes to become a leader.
Within months of arriving on campus, Guzzo filled the vacant treasurer’s spot on the board of Albright’s literary magazine, AGON. “The position gave me an understanding of all Albright’s resources, and is one of the reasons I ran for Student Government my junior year,” Guzzo said.
“AGON was really what taught me about being a leader on campus, and how easy it is to get involved at Albright.”
By her second semester, Guzzo joined Alpha Delta Pi sorority, where she found a support system that she expects will last a lifetime. “It has given me friends and sisters who have my back and will support me,” she said. “I also appreciate the network outside of the college, because I now have alumnae sisters and other collegiate sisters who are connected to me because of this affiliation.”
Over the next three years, Guzzo became instrumental in the Peer Orientation Persons (POP) program that welcomes new students to campus, and ultimately became SGA president. She also took on a new experience in her senior year: affinity housing.
Living in the food and culture house with four other “amazing people” has been a great experience, Guzzo said. “I have loved living with them and supporting each other through the challenges of college.”
Having a positive support system through student activities and organizations has been the hallmark of Guzzo’s collegiate experience. “Getting involved on campus was definitely the most defining part of my college journey. It helped me discover who I am as a person, and who I want to be.”
As a grateful recipient of several scholarships, Guzzo understands the ripple effect donor support has on the campus at large. “When donors support my friends and classmates, it also strengthens my college experience,” Guzzo said, “because your peers really do shape your experience at Albright.”
