Get to know YWLP Big Sister, Emory Yearwood!
Year: 3rd
Major: English
Hometown: Christiansburg, Virginia
What do you miss most about your hometown when you're at UVA?
Since I grew up about ten minutes away from Virginia Tech's campus, there are a ton of similarities between my hometown and Charlottesville, making the transition both new and familiar. However, the thing I miss most about home is being greeted by my two golden retrievers whenever I walk in the door!
Why are you passionate about your program at the Women's Center?
YWLP has been a defining part of my experience at UVA, as it has provided an opportunity to engage with compelling individuals within the university, local community, and abroad. Outside time with the Littles and Leadership Days as a group are great ways to explore Charlottesville and check off activities that everyone should do before graduating (going to the Farmer's Market, ice skating downtown, attending sporting events, picking apples at Carter's Mountain, hiking Humpback, etc.). I am extremely passionate and have genuine faith in the power and potential of YWLP, and believing that it offers something for girls across the globe, I worked on a Jefferson Public Citizens grant project for the past year with three other individuals, which involved adapting YWLP to meet the needs of Ugandan culture and traveling to Uganda to assist in developing a "sister site" at the Mbarara University of Science and Technology.
What made you choose UVA over other schools you applied to?
I chose UVA because I think it offers the best of both worlds. The student body is not too big or too small; academics are balanced with extra-curricular activities and social life; it is a public, in-state school with prestige; the grounds embody a meaningful mixture of history and innovation; Charlottesville is a city with a down-to-earth, local vibe; and so much more.
What has surprised you about UVA?
I am consistently surprised by the degree to which UVA feels like a community, rather than a sprawling mass of eclectic individuals. Every time I meet someone new, we always have mutual friends, and I love the feeling of being immersed in a network of ambitious and interesting peers.
What's a fun fact you'd like people to know about you?
I am a rap music enthusiast, I drink coffee black with a shot of espresso, and I never leave the house without chapstick, spearmint Stride gum, and a watch.
If you could have coffee with anyone from history, who would it be and why?
If I could enjoy a conversation over coffee with anyone from history, I would choose Maya Angelou. When I was in middle school, I heard her give a lecture, and I will never forget how captivating her presence was. Dr. Angelou carried her age with such grace and spoke with a raw integrity that emanated genuineness and genius. I love reading her literary works and am inspired by the way in which she engaged her passions and activism into her creations.