Renea Briner, by Ethan Chang

Personally, as a fellow corgi lover, I want to say the most important thing about Renea is that she loves corgis, but her story goes far deeper than that. Renea Briner is a marine science and psychology major from Media, Pennsylvania and has a passion for scuba diving and learning ASL. Despite being annoyed at the school for not offering scuba certifications and the scuba club for not having enough members to go on trips, she intends to take the initiative next year to promote the club and make meaningful changes. One of her aspirations includes visiting Alaska to see the northern lights; she prefers this serenity and open atmosphere as opposed to the claustrophobic feeling of cities. I imagine scuba diving also makes her feel free, but I could never understand that because I’d probably drown.

Though she has a dog named Zoey, she’s unfortunately allergic to a lot of fluffy animals like rabbits and guinea pigs. When she was younger, she used to have a Webkinz turtle named Sheldon, very much like mine whom I named Greeny. And on the topic of pets, her greatest pet peeve is when people want some alone time, but others intrude and talk.

Renea describes herself as “determined” and that if there’s something she needs to get done, she’ll get it done. After getting to know her in this short time, that’s a statement I can definitely support and would add on that she’s honest, organized, and shows initiative. I look forward to getting to know her more over the semester.

Ethan Chang, by Kelsey McNamara

Growing up here in Delaware, Ethan once thought he would become an architect, as he found an interest in sketching blueprint-like drawing as a child. Clearly, his path in life has changed, as he is now a chemical engineering major, and is a part of the Chemical Engineering Club here on campus.  Outside of his academics, Ethan has recently found an appreciation for rock climbing and climbs at the rock wall in the Little Bob almost every day. Also contributing to his adventurous side, Ethan also enjoys snowboarding. He has snowboarded in Canada, and more recently, in Vermont.

Ethan hopes that one day he will be able to travel to Japan, either to visit or even move there. He finds the Japanese culture to be very respectful, on top of having countless beautiful places to sightsee.  One of the most appealing sightseeing attractions to Ethan is when the cherry blossoms begin to bloom, and he hopes to see them himself one day. While also in Japan, he wants to try their sushi (which is much better there than in the United States) and omurice.

In his dorm room, Ethan does not have much hanging on his walls, as he prefers a clean, minimalistic lifestyle. At home, however, he hung up his college acceptance (and rejection) letters on the wall by his desk, as motivators to stay focused and work hard. 

Ethan, despite being introverted, speaks passionately about his hobbies and other interests. He seems to be a very positive person and is determined to stay focused and not procrastinate this semester. Overall, Ethan is an extremely interesting person to get to know and will brighten your day.

Kelsey McNamara, by Renea Briner

Growing up in Mullica Hill, New Jersey, Kelsey McNamara felt she never had the chance to truly be herself. Although she enjoyed her hometown, she often felt pressured to behave and perform to certain standards. However, since arriving at college, the newfound freedom has allowed her to blossom and discover her real personality. When asked to describe herself in one word, Kelsey now uses outgoing, one she admits she never previously dreamed would describe her.

Although Kelsey’s personality has changed over the past few months, several things have remained the same. For example, she still enjoys swimming, a sport she started at the age of four. To continue her love for this sport, Kelsey joined the club team at Delaware, so when she is not in the library studying biochemistry, you will likely find her practicing with the team.

Another thing that remained the same about Kelsey is her desire to pay homage to her roots. Kelsey was adopted from Ukraine when she was one-and-a-half, and although the orphanage from which she was adopted no longer exists, she wishes to return to the area to develop a deeper connection to her past.

Building connections is something Kelsey seems to really value, which can be seen from the way she intently listens when others are talking, and by the actions she takes for her friends — such as cleaning out an extremely moldy fridge. Overall, I am happy that this project has introduced me to Kelsey because somehow I went the whole first semester not knowing she existed, even though she lives just down the hall from me.