1.What exactly was your James Madison experience like?
I did a lot of things when I was here at Madison. Honestly, the moment I stepped foot on campus I had already decided that I wanted to get a little taste of everything, and I spent my 4 years trying the many flavors of Madison that is through involvement, relationships, academics, and so much more. In the end however, once I figured out what flavors I liked the most, I kept going back to those. I spent a lot of my time with my Delta Gamma sisters and the Student Government Association. Taylor Hall was my 2nd home, and the Delta Gamma house was my 3rd. Looking back on my experience at JMU I can honestly say that I did most everything that I wanted to and took advantage of many opportunities, so I have no regrets at all. JMU is definitely responsible for teaching me about 80% of the life lessons so far in my 21 years, so I am forever grateful for everything I was able to learn at Madison.
2.What was it like being Student Body President your senior year in college? How has the Student Government Association shaped you as an individual and a leader?.
Being student body president was absolutely nothing like what I expected. I obviously knew that I was going to have my hands full as president, but the hardest part of the job is that you never know what is going to be thrown at you. I went into my term excited to work on X, Y, & Z only to find out that I had to unexpectedly deal with scandals A, B, C, D, & E! But, the job taught me how to be incredibly flexible and how to respond quickly and think on my feet. Between working with the media, or being put in the hot seat by administrators, I learned how to express myself in a more professional way and respond quickly to all situations. It was without a doubt the biggest challenge I've ever had, and I'm so incredibly thankful for everything that I've learned from the experience. I can honestly say that I'll take a lot of what I learned and apply it to my post-graduate life. Hopefully it will also help me in the classroom when I'm a teacher this Fall. But, aside from just the presidential position, I've grown a lot through SGA in my years at JMU and I've been able to interact with all kinds of people around campus that I never thought I would. The SGA has also given me some of the best friends I've ever had in my entire life, who share the same values that I do and who are there for the same purpose - to help students. Not only that, but it's taught me how to be a better citizen by staying informed in the political process and learning how to help others. I have a newfound interest in politics after being in the SGA and I've learned a lot about my role as a citizen of this country and this world for that matter through politics and service. Overall, SGA has given me all of the tools that I need to successfully start my post-graduate life with a good head on my shoulders and service in my heart.
3.What does being a Delta Gamma mean to you? How has the sisterhood experience changed your life?
Sororities are not like the movies - that's something I learned after joining Delta Gamma. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I was going to join a sorority in college. Honestly I didn't really understand the whole thing, so I had no desire to be a part of it because it confused me. It wasn't until sophomore year when I met a really awesome girl named Rachel who always wore her DG letters and talked about it all the time and it really intrigued me all of a sudden. I researched it and went out to informal recruitment, and my life has never been the same. It's true what they say - those who aren't in greek life can't understand it, and those in greek life can't explain it to other people. Sisters are better than friends because you share so many things together - the secrets of the chapter, the time you spend together all the time, the values you live up to. For 3 years now I've had the love and support of my chapter and it has made all the difference in my Madison experience. Not only that, but it's a great feeling to meet a DG somewhere randomly that's not in your chapter but once you see those letters you immediately know that you have a friend in her. I met an 80 year old DG at the mall right after I got initiated, and it was the most moving experience. I also sat next to a DG on a plane once and we talked about Delta Gamma the entire time and became friends. The biggest thing is that if I hadn't joined Delta Gamma I probably would have never met my best friend Alissa, and I'm thankful everyday that she's a part of my life. Delta Gamma holds a very special spot in my heart forever, LITB.
4.What is your cultural background? What is your family like?
My mother is Latina and was born in Guatemala. My biological father is African-American (but he is not a part of my immediate family). I have two little brothers who are technically my half brothers because they're father is my first step father. They're both full Guatemalan. Currently I live with my mom, grandma and grandpa, two brothers (ages 11 & 13), and my new step-dad. He has 3 daughters back in Guatemala. Yes, I have a complicated family tree, I know. But, with that being said, my family is pretty crazy but extremely loving. They put their heart and soul into everything that they do, and they have a very impressive work ethic. They have motivated me to seek out my dreams no matter how high, and that if I put my heart and soul and everything that I've got into something then I will see the results. My values were built on hard work, dedication, compassion, and true love. They motivate me everyday to be a better person, and they inspire me to grow.
5.What was your academic experience at JMU?
I will be up front and say that I did not have it easy in the classroom. I have been challenged in every single class that I've taken here at JMU, and I don't think that's a bad thing at all. Obviously, sometimes that meant that I did not get the grades I wanted, but for the most part I survived. Not only that, but my involvement definitely had an effect on my grades and sometimes my grades suffered for a few weeks at a time if I was dealing with a major issue in the SGA - but that's life and I wouldn't take it back for the world. I had the privilege to work with a lot of great professors and some of them have become my good friends. I started off as a Psychology major and I studied this subject for 3 full years. Then, the summer before senior year I had a change of heart and decided that I wanted to pursue an education in Spanish so that I could then become a teacher someday. I wouldn't have enough time to double major and what I really needed was the B.A. in Modern Foreign Languages if I wanted to pursue this career so I had to drop psychology. I might go back to it someday through a graduate program but I'm not sure just yet. In the end, I made it somehow so that's all I can really ask for. As long as I get that diploma mailed to me, I don't really care what my GPA ended up as by the end of it.
6.What would you tell a prospective student ? Why should they come to JMU?
JMU is a place where you can find yourself as an individual. It gives you the tools that you need to be successful plus the experience you need to grow as a human being. Getting involved is easy at JMU because of the inviting atmosphere and the diverse kinds of groups to join. Also we have a very happy campus, in fact, JMU is 18th in the nation for "happiest students." My mom is convinced there's something in the water. But honestly it's really just the fact that JMU offers something special for everyone, so why wouldn't you be happy? You'll find your place on campus and dedicate the next 4 years to doing just that. We are a school that prides itself on having the ability to have a great time and create great friendships while excelling in the classroom. A lot of people want to go to JMU these days, in fact, we had the most applications for the incoming class of 2013 in the entire state of VA! Yes, that does mean we beat out UVA and VT - guess we're wanted more! Sorry! James Madison is the place you want to be, because frankly, we're going places!
7.Why are you so obsessed with social media websites (Twitter, Facebook, etc.)?
Having a facebook, twitter, gmail, etc. is obviously fun and I enjoy it as a leisurely activity, but that's not all. I see social media as an important part of our generation and of the future of our population. I like researching the social and political implications of social media, as well as learn how it keeps changing and the impact it's having on our society. It's really interesting! I'm a social psychology nerd, so this is something that fascinates me because it influences our culture in so many ways and I think it's important that we pay attention to it for sure. But besides all of that, I like it because it helps me connect with all of my friends. I don't care what people say, I've never had closer relationships with people than I have had as a result of social media. I'm the type of person that isn't really good at connecting with people, and because of that I kind of kept to myself in high school, but when I came to JMU and started investing in social media, I made very close relationships! I met some of my best friends on facebook, through a simple friend request. I think I want to later in life find a career as a Social Media Executive somewhere, honestly. With that said, follow me! @candacethetaco
8.What are you most passionate about?
I'm passionate about a few things. I'm passionate about education, specifically with teenagers. I think that we need to invest more time in educating our students because that's how we will create a better future for our country. I'm also very passionate about the Latino community. I am a proud Latina American and I come from a family of hard working immigrants that made a difference in their lives by creating a future for themselves in the United States. Obviously, because of this, I am very passionate about the immigrant population and learning more about them and policies and culture, etc. And just in general, I'm a passionate person because I like to put my whole heart and soul into everything that I do.
9.Who inspires you?
My main source of inspiration definitely comes from my family, and in particular my Grandpa, my Grandma, and my Mom. I would not be where I am right now if it weren't for my Grandfather's bravery and dedication to our family. He was going through a lot of pain in his personal life and he got a VISA and traveled to the USA to start a new life for the Avalos family. After a few years he brought my mom and grandma over to the states and started his legacy. He is a strong individual who worked hard for every single thing that he has and has a strong set of morals and values that have gotten him through it all. He inspires me everyday. My Grandma worked really hard as well in all kinds of jobs to support the family. When she came to the states she got pregnant with my aunt and it was very hard for her to raise 2 children in a country that she was not familiar with. She has always shown love and compassion for everyone and everything and she is the backbone of the foundation for our family. Also, my mother worked just as hard to get to where she is right now. She came to the states as a 5 year old and obviously had to adapt to the country like my grandparents, but growing up as an immigrant is a lot harder because not only are you already trying to find your identity as a person, you're trying to find it in an unfamiliar setting. While she hit many bumps on the road and got pregnant with me in her first year of college and fell into some bad marriages/relationships, she is a self-made woman who climbed her way to the top and she keeps on climbing everyday to provide for us as a family. These 3 individuals are my inspiration every single day to become a better human being - and I can't thank them enough.
10.Why do you like peace signs so much?
I'm the kind of person that goes through phases in my life. I went through an emo phase, a gangsta phase, a skulls and camouflage phase (that was freshman year of college). But, sophomore year in college I started to learn more about peace and what it meant. I researched a lot of things on peace, and learned about how people approached it and how it's changed people. It has become one of the things that I truly am passionate about. I think it has a special meaning for me because for me it signifies inner peace. Being peaceful with who I am as a person and trying to exude peace whenever possible in my life. Luckily, right around the same time I began to explore this and really take it to heart, it started becoming a fad - which meant I could find peace paraphernalia wherever I went! Sure, some people may only like peace because it's a fad, but that's okay with me. I know what it really means to me and how it personally affects my life so I embrace that. I wear my peace ring every single day, and my grandparents got me a peace bracelet handmade by a friend of ours in Guatemala - I now wear that everyday too. Everyone knows me as the "peace girl" and I'm definitely okay with that!
Taken from www.candaceavalos.com
