Leaving Endicott Better Than She Found It
100% or nothing.
Growing up, Caitlyn Sievers ’23 heard this phrase frequently from her mother and stepfather. Fast forward to her senior year at Endicott, and these words couldn’t be truer throughout her various involvements with the College.
President of Student Government Association (SGA). Orientation leader and tour guide. Vice President of Psi Chi Honor Society. A member of Mortar Board and the Alpha Phi Sigma Society.
“I think I’ve always lived my life that way, being super passionate and seeing things through 100%,” said Sievers. “I can’t imagine doing something another way.”
The psychology major may do it all, but she uses her multiple platforms to help those around her first and foremost. Sievers thrives on being busy, and it gives her a purpose every day when she wakes up. Even if an action seems small or short-term, it could eventually be built upon in the future and benefit others, she explained.
“What I’m interested in academically is helping people be the best versions of themselves, and doing the things that I can to be a bridge for that,” said Sievers. “Whether it’s pushing people to do more than what they think they can in SGA, or in my internships, I feel like that’s a big theme in my life.”
After being involved with Student Senate in high school, Sievers decided to join the club at Endicott during her freshman year. She has been involved with the club since becoming president in her senior year. Sievers noted that she looked up to the past presidents of the club during her years as a member, learning from them along the way.
Sievers explained that it can be a bit intimidating for younger SGA members to attend meetings with Endicott staff and advocate for student concerns. Sievers has worked hard to change that by supporting her classmates.
That’s because her current style of leadership involves pushing people out of their comfort zones and guiding them instead of giving them strict directions.
“Kind of pushing people to know that they have a right to be there and to make their voice heard, no matter where on campus they are coming from,” explained Sievers.
As SGA President, Sievers said she sometimes gets nervous being one of the big voices of the student body and trying to advocate for change.
“Even though it’s a little bit nerve-wracking to go into a really big meeting with a lot of important people, I feel good after knowing that I did something for the community that outweighs how nervous I felt.”
Sievers explained that she thinks that it’s important to give back to her College, a place where the experience is very much give-and-take.
“As a student, you’re getting so much support from your friends, the people you meet, your faculty, advisors, and other staff on campus that support you,” she said. “It’s important to give that back just as much. Be a support for the same place that was really impactful on your educational and social experience.”
She has not only made an impact on the Endicott campus but this past fall she completed a semester-long internship at the Housing Division of the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination. There, she completed intake forms with complainants and penned investigative dispositions.
“I always did my best to remain impartial for the job because I had to, but let people know as much as I could that we do care and we are doing the best that we can to help them through the situation and that we would investigate to the best of our ability,” said Sievers.
“When I got that confirmation that people really appreciated what I was doing and putting their trust in me and all of my colleagues, it was just really special,” she added.
The internship was a confirmation of the work she is meant to be doing—helping people in her distinctly personal way.
After graduation, Sievers hopes to attend law school, where she’ll likely specialize in public
interest law.
She’ll take with her lessons from Endicott, like resiliency. She’s learned not to catastrophize but to put things into perspective.
That was something she learned while studying abroad in Prague, Czech Republic, during her junior year. She was the only Endicott student in Prague, and she learned to slow down and appreciate the little things.
“It was a lot of just figuring things out on the fly, taking a deep breath, and enjoying the ride,” said Sievers.
While it’s bittersweet to leave Endicott soon, she’ll build on the optimism and drive she cultivated here.
“I really love this place, and I care so much about it,” she said. “So, I just want to leave it better than I found it.”