Senior Spotlight: Adrianna Maher
As a junior in high school, studying abroad upended the direction Adrianna Maher saw her life going in. After returning home to Burlington, Vermont, her previous plans no longer seemed appealing. As a junior at Castleton, a study abroad experience helped focus her goals back home.
“Studying abroad is required of students in the Global Studies program. It was something I had been looking forward to since beginning at Castleton,” Maher said. “I had studied abroad in high school and was ready to do it again. The experience was incredible. I credit a lot of my recent growth as a person and a student to it.”
The Global Studies major, who is double minoring in Political Science and Media and Communication, headed to Morocco in January 2020 to spend the semester studying abroad – or, at least that was her intention. The Coronavirus Pandemic forced Maher to return home early, but the change of scenery presented opportunities for quiet introspection.
“Early on, I learned I was far behind my peers there in drive and general knowledge,” she said. “It was there that I realized I had become complacent at college and in my life. At Castleton, I was getting straight A's and I was doing what I thought was a great job. Surface level, I was, however, I never took control of my own life. I wasn’t absorbing the information I was being taught, and I wasn’t seeking out more knowledge on my own. I wasn’t doing enough to meet my own aspirations; I was just getting by.”
Maher likes to say that Castleton, and college in general, gives you a foundation; however, you have to build the house.
“Morocco was the start to this journey, but it’s a never-ending one,” she said.
Before Morocco, Maher was a residential student at Castleton. It’s a familiar place for the Maher family, as Adrianna’s mom and sister are former Spartans. However, it was Maher’s dad that suggested she use Castleton as her “jumping-off point.”
“I’m so glad I did. As it turned out, I really enjoyed continuing my education,” she said. “My favorite thing about Castleton is the relationship you can build with your professors.”
Maher describes her experience at Castleton as “ever-changing.”
“Each year brought something new. Between holding different roles on campus, I was constantly trying to find what fit me the best,” she said.
These roles include working as a Community Advisor for Residence Life and as an intern in the University’s Advancement Office.
Now, Maher is applying and interviewing for summer internships with the help of Castleton’s Career Services Office. She hopes to find a career that focuses on policy or general advocacy.