Liz Katriel Interview -Pledge (Class of 2017)

Leah: How are you liking APO so far?

Liz: APO has been very enjoyable for me so far. It’s been nice getting to know the friends that I already have there and making new friends. I know some of the brothers and I also know some of the people in my pledge class. It’s been a nice way to get to spend some more time with them while doing pledge things and community service.

Leah: What has been your favorite part of APO so far?

Liz: I really liked the big little reveal. I thought that was pretty cute. It was fun to do the scavenger hunt, I mean it was a little inconvenient since it was very snowy outside, but it was still really nice. I was happy to find out who my big was.

Leah: So who’s your big?

Liz: Melissa Neustein.

Leah: Did you know Melissa before?

Liz: Yeah, she’s actually the one who got me involved in APO. She and I were family friends and we sorta connected this year and she told me about APO and she convinced me to join and she ended up being my big. I thought that was kinda cute.

Leah : That’s so nice

Liz: yeah

Leah: So what are you majoring in?

Liz: I’m a psych major; I’m not sure about minor yet, still figuring that part out.

Leah: Do you know what you want to do?

Liz: Umm, I was thinking that for a little while about going into like clinical therapy. Umm, but I might branch out. I thought about like maybe being a professional organizer or something like that. Just someone who helps people get their lives together, that’s sort of what I want to go into.

Leah: Have you done any community service that has to do with that?

Liz: Umm. Not necessarily that in particular a lot of community service stuff that I am involved in right now has more to do with animals. Umm, I used to volunteer back at home for a shelter near my house called Patch. It was just cats, but now I’m also one of the coordinators here for sanctuary animal shelter here. Which has been really nice. That one has both cats and dogs, so it’s been very fun getting to go there. It’s very therapeutic, but next semester I’m hoping to get an internship at the Lehigh Valley Hospital where they have a program where you get to sit in on group therapy sessions with kids. I’m hoping that will give me a window into seeing if this is something I want to do.

Leah: SO what kinds of community service do you do here on campus?

Liz: Mainly it’s been sanctuary, but I’ve also done projects with you guys. I’m going to go to the pledge class projects that is going on. I think we are just meeting up in the dining hall; we are making cards for kids and seniors. I also plan to volunteer at The Cherry Blossom Festival.

Leah: Yea, I plan on volunteering there too

Liz: I am really excited

Leah: Hopefully it is warm by then.

Liz: I hope so, hopefully the cherry blossoms are actually blossoming. Yea, part of the reason why I joined APO was so that I could have other types of community service experience besides just going to sanctuary all the time. I do really love it there, but I also want to volunteer with humans besides animals. So that’s kind of my motivation behind this too.

Leah: It’s been nice talking with you and I hope that you continue to enjoy the pledge process. Very soon you will be a brother.