With the amount of work she has to take care of in her day-to-day life, perhaps it’s not too surprising that McKenzie Aviza’s post-graduate plans aren’t set in stone.
“It probably sounds horrible and scary coming from a second-semester senior, but I don’t have any major plans next year,” Aviza said.
Aviza, a senior history major with a concentration in adolescent and special education, does, however, have plenty of options to choose from.
“I might go to grad school,” she said. “I’m looking at UAlbany or Le Moyne. There’s also a couple of job opportunities, one as a teacher and one as a student advocate at Hillside Work-Scholarship [Connection], where I currently work.
“I want to do something where I travel,” Aviza continued. “I went on a road trip last year and it was so fun. I’d like to do something like that again when I’m financially able.”
Aviza is currently studying to be a social studies teacher, an interest that came about thanks to two Le Moyne faculty members – history professor Douglas Egerton and associate professor of education Cathy Leogrande.
“Egerton is a great guy,” Aviza explained. “I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do and he helped me out. And Leogrande sold education to me. That says a lot about the quality of the teachers here. As a teacher, I hope I can instill my love of social studies into the students I work with.”
Aviza also keeps herself busy with Fermata Nowhere (Le Moyne’s student-run a cappella group), RA duties and the Le Moyne Student Dance Company (LSDC).
“[In addition to being a dancer], I’m the lighting coordinator for LSDC,” she noted. “I make sure the dances have light designers. I’m the link between LSDC and the Performing Arts Center, so I also do other things, like making sure the crew’s set and the music is uploaded into the system.
“I absolutely love LSDC because of the people I have met and the friendships I have made in that group,” Aviza said. “Everyone has a common love of dance, and it’s so great to be surrounded by such an energetic and talented group of people! LSDC is one of the most influential parts of my student life. I met people here [and in Fermata Nowhere and as an RA] I will not soon forget. They changed my life for the better.”
With graduation soon approaching, Aviza admits she’ll miss a great deal about Le Moyne.
“The biggest thing I’ll miss is the community that develops here,” she said. “I came here knowing one person: my sister, who was a year ahead of me. I’m leaving with the most important relationships I’ve ever had in my life. Le Moyne attracts a certain type of person: an outgoing, helpful person. That’s why it’s such a close-knit community. Everyone reaches out to everybody.
“…that and Pub Night,” she said with a laugh.
