Class of 2025: Ashleigh Lobbins
When Ashleigh Lobbins came to the Hill, a whole new chapter opened up for her. The Psychology major’s favorite course at McDaniel was her First-Year Seminar, and she’s come full circle by completing her senior capstone with the Psychology professor who taught it. Outside of class, she was a mentor at the Boys and Girls Club of Carroll County and worked on campus as a McDaniel Local leader and peer mentor, supporting new students on the Hill.
"I hope I’ve left footprints for incoming first-generation students to follow. It can be terrifying to reach such a milestone, but you’ll find your place. It may take some time and words of encouragement, but you will end up exactly where you need to be."
In her own words ...
When I took my first step on the Hill, I was:
Very overwhelmed, yet thrilled. Everything was brand new, but I was excited to figure out who I could become over the next four years.
The me who will ring the Old Main bell on Commencement Day is:
Still a bit nervous, but much more confident in myself to step out of my comfort zone and pursue my goals.
Real-world experiences:
I began working at the Boys and Girls Club of Carroll County in my first year and it has remained the most rewarding, memorable job I’ve had over the past four years of my life. I was able to connect with McDaniel alums and work alongside them to learn so much more about myself as a mentor. The best part was making so many connections with the members there. They have made such a positive impact on my life that I’ll never forget.
My aha moment:
Connection really is the key to everything. The people I met during my time at McDaniel have shaped who I am as a person, and I’m thankful that I had the opportunity to give a piece of myself back. I’m a huge introvert, so trust me when I say skip the night in and go have fun on campus!
Footprints I'm leaving on the Hill:
I hope I’ve left footprints for incoming first-generation students to follow. It can be terrifying to reach such a milestone, but you’ll find your place. It may take some time and words of encouragement, but you will end up exactly where you need to be.
Faculty or staff member who most influenced who I have become:
Lisa Lebo has been a wonderful and supportive mentor since I joined the First-Year Experience program in the summer of 2023 as a McDaniel Local leader. I always felt a little insecure about my leadership skills, but she has always had faith in me, which encouraged me to feel more confident in myself.
Best class ever:
My First-Year Seminar (FYS)! It was a Psychology class called the Power of Play. We learned about the impact that play has on children throughout development. To end the semester, we walked to the Westminster playground and embraced our inner child! It was my first Psychology course here and I’m now working on my capstone with the same professor who taught my FYS — Professor Stephanie Madsen — which makes me sentimental!
Tell us a little about your activities, including sports, during your years at McDaniel:
My friends always told me they lost count of how much I had going on during the week, but I genuinely love working with the Student Accessibility and Support Services tutoring program, as well as in the Residence Life and Academic Life offices. I found my specialty within the First-Year Experience program, where I became a Local leader, peer mentor, and student coordinator for the Peer Mentor Program. It has been totally rewarding to meet students as first-years and watch them flourish as the years go by.
Took me totally by surprise:
The amount of Glar coffee I have consumed.
My favorite spot on campus:
I really enjoy sitting tucked into the back of Caseys’ Corner. I feel a little more motivated when I’m surrounded by the smell of coffee and good music. The employees there always love to chat, which is a plus!
Most mind-boggling idea I learned at McDaniel:
Not necessarily a specific idea, but I never really knew how smart pigeons were until my behavioral Psychology course where we took care of the birds in the on-campus pigeon research lab and ran tests to assess how much they could learn to associate colors, shapes, and timing delays with food. I remember my professor labeled our experiments as the “gamble for food.” This class was special to me because of how hands-on it was. I learned so much about conditioning and reinforcement across different species!
My capstone title:
“Like a Broken Record: How Co-Rumination Shapes Friendships and Amplifies Emotional Strain.”
What it’s about in plain talk:
I’m researching co-rumination in young adults, especially in college friendships. Co-rumination can be a way of building intimacy between friends and might temporarily relieve us of the emotional burden our problems bring us, but excessively rehashing and revisiting negative feelings with a friend can have detrimental effects on mental health and the relationship.
What's next:
I’m planning to stick around at McDaniel for the summer to help oversee the McDaniel Local sessions. After, I would like to pursue a master’s program in Clinical Mental Health Counseling!
How will you stay connected to McDaniel?
I am super excited to become a McDaniel alum. I would like to visit and connect with new students at alumni events!
If you received financial aid, what did that mean for you and your family?
Receiving financial aid has been a tremendous help to my family and me. It was especially tough on my mom to toggle through putting her oldest child through college. Without aid, I probably would not have been able to attend at all. I’m extremely grateful to have had the support.
Are you the first in your immediate family to attend college? What has the experience meant to you?
I am! Being the first one in my family to attend college was initially quite a stressful experience. Before my first semester, my mom and I would spend hours on Reddit trying to prepare for the worst, but as soon as I moved in, I watched an entirely new chapter open up for me. I felt like I could truly explore myself.
About Ashleigh
