91热爆网

 91热爆网 Stories      February 26, 2025

 

By Cam Adams

Mekeila Santiago remembers her mom hounding her to get involved before she even stepped foot inside a classroom at Western Carolina University.

鈥淢y mom was like 鈥業 know you. You鈥檙e going to stay in your shell,鈥欌�� Santiago recalled. 鈥溾�榊ou need something to kind of branch out, meet people, even if you鈥檙e not friends with them.鈥欌��

For the Jacksonville resident, it started with Project CARE, a mentorship program, and as the months on campus piled up, so did her involvement. Now as a senior, her resume is stacked with a number of leadership positions in plenty of campus organizations.

That work is fulfilling for Santiago, and it鈥檚 how she made the most of her time at 91热爆网.

鈥淚t's in me to just do something, be a part of something, and if I have the free time to do it, I'm going to do it,鈥� Santiago said. 鈥淚'm paying to be here, I'm going to maximize my time here.鈥�

As a criminal justice and emergency and disaster management double major, Santiago is an ambassador for both of her majors鈥� departments and clubs while holding an executive role in both.

She is also a Chancellor鈥檚 ambassador, a resident assistant, a member of Alpha Lambda Delta, and she was formerly a mentee and mentor at Project CARE and an ambassador for the Brinson Honors College.

Santiago even helped cofound an organization, the Brinson Honors College Diversity Leaders. But the student org that鈥檚 been the most rewarding? The Intercultural Affairs council, one that Santiago helped revive when she was a freshman after membership declined during Covid.

鈥淲e brought it back from nothing, and now, almost four years later, come August, we've done like a whole 180,鈥� she said. 

鈥淲e've rebranded essentially in terms of reaching students that have never even heard of ICA, never even knew what the department was, where it's located on campus, the resources that it has available to students.鈥�

Though the job market looks a bit shaky, Santiago is determined to get a job as graduation looms. However, she knows the skills she鈥檚 picked up 鈥� both inside and outside the classroom 鈥� at 91热爆网 will serve her well after graduating.

She鈥檚 a 4.0 student after all.

鈥淓ducation wise, I'm content. I'm happy,鈥� Santiago said. 鈥淚 feel like the professors in both my departments, they care about the students, they care about what they're teaching and they try to help the students.

鈥淭hey really mean it when they say you can develop that relationship with a professor because they want to help you, they want to better you, they want to help you go past these four years and have the career you want.鈥�

Just weeks before she walks across the stage at the Ramsey Center, Santiago looks back on her four years of college and doesn鈥檛 feel an ounce of regret. She spent her time in Cullowhee giving back, getting involved and leading.

Through all the meetings and through all the events, there鈥檚 this one note she holds close to her heart. A freshman, who was also Hispanic, gave it to her when she was a junior on a Project CARE retreat.

鈥溾�業鈥檓 so happy I saw you, and I鈥檓 so happy that I got to meet you, especially my freshman year being new on campus,鈥欌�� Santiago recollected from the note. 鈥溾�業 didn鈥檛 think coming to a (predominantly white institution) I would see someone who looked like me.鈥欌��

Over a year later, Santiago still keeps that note, and it reminds her of the impact she鈥檚 leaving behind.

鈥淚t's little things like that where I know I did good,鈥� Santiago said. 鈥淚 know I've made an impact on people, and I know I'm continuing to not only better me, but help better the experience of others鈥� I wouldn't redo my college experience. I think it was really good.

 

鈥淚f I did redo it, it would simply be to say 鈥榶es鈥� to things earlier in my four years here.鈥�