Meet Samantha Moon '21
Meet Samantha Moon, a senior studying Pre-Allied Health Science. Samantha loves telling the story of how she ultimately came to Seton Hill because she thinks it describes her experience at Seton Hill so well. While looking at colleges Samantha knew she wanted to study in the health sciences so she applied to schools with those programs in the Pittsburgh area, including Seton Hill. After she was accepted to another school, she thought she had found the perfect fit - that was until her mother convinced her to look at Seton Hill before making her final decision. “As soon as I visited Seton Hill for the first time, I immediately fell in love with both the campus and the people I met,” says Samantha. “I felt right away everyone was so welcoming and willing to help, and I didn’t see this on any other campuses I had toured.”
Like many students, Samantha says that making the transition from high school to college was challenging at first. The biggest obstacle for Samantha was overcoming her shyness and stepping out of her comfort zone in order to become an involved student. “Some of my friends introduced me to Keisha Jimmerson (Associate Dean of Students for Diversity, Inclusion and International Student Services),” says Samantha. “She got me involved in Seton Hill’s Multicultural and International Student Organization (MISO), and I currently serve as the group’s president. I love being a part of this organization and meeting so many people from around the world.”
In addition to being president of MISO, Samantha is also a Griffin Guide and Resident Assistant. “Being a Griffin Guide gives me the opportunity to hopefully provide the same first positive impression I received as a prospective student,” says Samantha. “This will be my first year as a Resident Assistant, and I am looking forward to the new experiences that will come with it.” Samantha says that being so involved on campus has made her student experience so much more rewarding. “I’ve learned so much about myself and gained responsibility, leadership and people skills that I probably wouldn’t have gained otherwise.”
In addition to stepping out of her comfort zone, Samantha also struggled with another reality many students face - deciding on a major. When Samantha applied to Seton Hill, she had planned to study Pre-Med. However, in her first semester Samantha found that the Pre-Med path might not be the right one. Working with faculty and staff, Samantha says she was able to determine that the Pre-Allied Health Science major would be a good fit for her, which leads to careers such as physician assistants, occupational therapists or speech pathologists. She is pleased to be part of an amazing academic environment—she receives support from the Seton Hill community through tutoring and other services. Samantha said about her coursework, “I appreciate the rigorous courses in my program because I know they are preparing me for the career I want to pursue,” she says.
Samantha didn’t let the challenges of transitioning to college stop her from making the most of her student experience. She says she’s most proud of her involvement on campus outside of the classroom. Each of the activities she became a part of have helped her learn more about herself, and she says she has always found a way to relate it back to her future career. “Becoming so involved on campus has been a huge accomplishment for me because it’s allowed me to become a better version of myself,” she says.