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South Bend, Ind., native Alicia LeRoy ’11 didn’t have to travel far from home to get the best of both worlds. The English literature and communication studies major has the benefit of seeing family whenever she wants, while living independently on campus. She’s also active both in the community and on campus, participating in Dance Marathon on the Corporate Sponsorship Committee, raising money for Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis, Ind.“Last year I participated as a dancer and was blown away by the money raised by Saint Mary’s,” says LeRoy. “I knew I had to play a greater part in helping those kids out [this year].”
LeRoy also volunteers at the local YWCA. “Initially I was nervous about dealing with women who faced domestic and chemical abuse but I have come to experience the type of community that is built at the YWCA,” says LeRoy. “The clients there offer support for one another and the employees are dedicated to helping the women and children housed there.”
Outside of her volunteer activities, LeRoy works in the English department. Even though she has never had department chair and academic advisor Ted Billy as a professor, she counts him as a mentor. “His personality and love for literature is remarkable. He always makes me laugh and just overall seems like a great guy. I can’t wait to be able to take one of his courses!”
Assistant professor Linn Vacca is another inspiration for LeRoy, in working with her to improve her writing skills. “She helped me transition from high school writing to more professional papers that allowed me to think outside the box.”
LeRoy’s says her favorite class this semester is a Jane Austen fiction to film class. “Jane Austen is one of my favorite authors, so to be able to take a class at Saint Mary’s entirely devoted to her work is a thrill,” says LeRoy. She was drawn to Saint Mary’s because of the English program and the wide variety of classes offered. “When I combine that English knowledge with the communication major, which focuses on media, I believe that I will enter the work force well prepared.”
With a poem already published, LeRoy looks to work in the book publishing industry, or maybe try her hand at writing. “There is also a history of writers in my family, including Mary Shelley and Charles Perrault,” says LeRoy. “I like to believe that my love for literature and knack for writing is in my blood.”