Suzanne Coles

COL ’17
Age: 19
Hometown: New Braunfels, Texas
Major: Biology and Chemistry

Do you feel obliged to be busy at Georgetown?
I know that there’s a pressure to be busy, and I definitely feel it, but I kind of already went through that in high school, so I feel like I know the importance of only doing the things that actually mean something to you.

What do you do?
I am involved in Nomadic Theater — that’s my main extracurricular. I have assistant stage-managed, assistant stage-produced, and I am looking forward to producing my own show next semester. This month I produced “Square Pegs,” a show to get old and new members involved in a low-time-commitment way. And I acted in GU Take Back the Night’s “Vagina Monologues.” I also volunteer at the hospital with the chemistry club.

What do you find most frustrating about Georgetown?
I think, for me, it’s that there’s so many things that I want to be involved in and classes I want to take. But you have to learn to balance being involved and sleeping and eating and, you know, breathing.

What do you find most frustrating about Georgetown?
I think, for me, it’s that there’s so many things that I want to be involved in and classes I want to take. But you have to learn to balance being involved and sleeping and eating and, you know, breathing.

Do you feel you fit in at Georgetown?
Yeah. I think it’s almost hard not to find a place to fit in. I mean it can be done. A few of the stereotypes about Georgetown are true, but there’s also just such a huge range of people, so yes, I fit into that.

Where are you from? Compare and contrast it to Georgetown. Where are you more comfortable?
I’m from a small city in Texas that fulfills a lot of the stereotypes from “Friday Night Lights.” It was a great place to grow up, but I think that Georgetown is more my scene in terms of open mindedness and diversity.

What’s your greatest fear?
I think my greatest fear is not ever doing anything important, because I’m always working up to something my whole life. In high school you’re working to get your best grades, to get to a great college. Now I’m here, working hard to do well, be successful, get into medical school. Then, I’ll be looking for a good job. I just don’t want all that work to not work up to something.

Which television character do you see the most of yourself in and why?
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is someone I’ve always related to, which is really pretentious because Buffy is the most badass woman ever. I guess just in terms of how she had a lot of pressure on her and a lot of insecurities, but when it came down to it, she was always there with witty puns … and amazing musical numbers.

What would you change about yourself? What’s the biggest change you’ve consciously made in your life and why?
I mentioned before the whole being perfect at everything, so I guess learning to not have such high expectations for myself or not constantly comparing myself to people around me. That’s also one of the biggest changed I’ve started to make here at Georgetown, where I’ve realized I need to have some fun and to balance what’s important. In 50 years, I’m not really going to remember getting an A in some chemistry exam, but I will remember walking to the monuments at night or seeing Hilary Clinton.

Interview by Jess Kelham-Hohler