Isabella Bean, a sophomore in business, is just one of more than 30,000 students on campus, but the large numbers don’t intimidate her.
She likes the big student body at the U, particularly because she enjoys meeting a variety of new people.
“The U is populated by many diverse cultures. We should celebrate that,” Bean said. “It’s a place for all of us. There is a spot for everyone.”
To Bean, the U is more than just a university — it is a place to discover oneself and meet people with similar hobbies.
“The U does a pretty good job of making it a little easier to meet people than it otherwise would be somewhere else,” she said. “To start a club that showcases any different type of activity, you only need five people for funding from ASUU. There are so many different organizations for everything I can even think of.”
During her freshman year of college Bean worked at the Peterson Heritage Center as a receptionist on the main floor, getting to know different freshmen and upperclassmen as well as international students.
“Meeting them was an experience itself, even if it was just to hand over a pool cue,” she said.
Bean also decided to join Greek life her freshman year. She ended up dropping the sorority she originally pledged before rushing a second time during her sophomore year. She is now a member of Pi Beta Phi.
“I have made so many incredible friends through being Greek, even though I’m not as involved as I could be, and I’m grateful for the chance to be,” she said. “I was a cheerleader in high school, so I was craving the idea of being a part of a group of empowering women again, and I have found that.”
This semester Bean will be traveling to Italy for a study abroad.
“I’m nervous, for sure, but it’s something that students should do,” she said. “I think that being a part of going abroad and focusing on learning an entire new life gives education an entirely new meaning.”
Bean also takes part in the Business Scholars Program, which is a group of students looking to gain experience with local, national and international companies.
“I think that it’s fun to match something up to your major and learn about the skills needed in a more practical way and a way that forces you to be involved too,” she said. “Our society at this point really values being able to socialize and step out to meet newer people. It is an incredibly marketable skill to have.”
She hopes students at the U will take the time to meet new people while on campus like she has.
“I think a lot of students have a hard time committing themselves to extracurricular activities like clubs and other organizations because it is hard to dedicate yourself to the time commitment of branching out and doing new things,” Bean said. “The ones who choose not to join or not to talk to those in classes are really missing out on getting to know those who are at the U with similar interests.”
@JulianneSkrivan