Flip to the picture of Breanna Stiefvater '24 in her high school yearbook, and you'll find a spot-on senior superlative underneath it: "Most likely to be involved in... everything." Yeah, pretty much.
Breanna visited Siena her senior year of high school and found one selling point particularly compelling.
"I toured campus and everyone kept talking about the tight-knit community. It seemed to be a real source of pride, and that's what I was looking for. I wanted to go to a college where I could walk across the quad and know everybody."
That's probably because she could always walk through her town and know everybody. Breanna's lived in a few towns in Central New York, the kinds of places where you can really get to know your neighbors and just about everyone else in the village. She was hoping for a similar experience on a college campus. She figured the best approach was to get involved. So, on the first Friday of her freshman year, she showed up to the club fair with pen in hand and signed up for (almost)... everything.
Breanna is the president of Passion Dance Technique, which she founded. She's on the Dance Team and is in leadership positions with Chaotic and Lost in Sound. She's a Saint (orientation leader) and a peer mentor. Breanna's a Damietta advocate and Chamber Singer and she's a member of the Pre-Law Society. She's been involved with the Muslim Student Association and the Asian Student Association, she's formerly an events board representative for Stage III, and at the 2020 Fall Fusion, she participated in seven of the performances (shattering a Siena record).
"I believe I've made the most of my Siena experience. I'm not sure there's anything I haven't tried at least once. I think everyone should approach college that way."
Breanna feels comfortable everywhere, but for some students, they're looking for that one place they belong. Breanna's helping students find it. As an orientation leader and a mentor, she's sharing her experiences with freshmen, and plenty of students have followed her lead. It's not always about flocking to your interests though – it's often about finding an interest in something you had never considered.
Breanna, a lifelong dancer, signed up for Bhangra and Bollywood dance (without any experience) her freshman year because... they were there. She made new friends who invited her to participate in MSA and ASA. Those experiences opened her eyes to different issues and opened her heart to career possibilities.
"I'm very aware of my privilege as a white student on this campus. I want to use that privilege for a good purpose and not just abuse it. I'd like to pursue a career in social justice, maybe something in Washington, D.C., proposing and lobbying for legislation."
First, though, Breanna will earn her MBA at Siena. She begins in the fall, and that means more time to discover an opportunity or two on campus she's yet to explore.
Breanna considers herself an unpaid Google Calendar advocate. She swears by the tool, and uses it to manage a complex, color-coded map of her life. Is it ever too much?
"I get stressed sometimes, but never to the point where I would cut anything out of my life. I love performing, and I love being so involved in this community. I wouldn't trade these opportunities for the world. If there were more hours in the day, I would do more. But there's no question about it, Siena delivered on its promise. I can walk across the quad and always bump into people I know."