Meet Dalilah Donnelly, ‘20, West Wings Member

By West Wings President Sarah Mae Manley, ’20

Hometown: Hartsburg, MO (born in Springfield, MO)

High School: Southern Boone County

Major/Minor: Business administration major with concentrations in management and marketing, minor in psychology

Can you tell some fun facts about yourself?

I was a vegetarian for the first 15 years of my life. I changed my first name when I was two years old and had it legally changed when I turned 18. I have traveled to almost all of the states in the U.S. and have traveled to other countries including Mexico, Costa Rica, Argentina, Chile, Spain and Australia, and I hope to continue visiting more!

What made you decide to come to Westminster College?

Originally I had been looking at some bigger schools such as Mizzou or Missouri State University, and then I decided that those were way too big for me, and so I started looking at schools such as Central Methodist is well as William Woods, the other college in Fulton. Finally, I made my way to Westminster and immediately once I stepped onto campus, I felt like I could see myself here as a future student. It sounds stereotypical, but I felt like I was at home and that I could be myself here. When I was on campus, many of the students approached me and my mom who was with me on the tour to say hi. It seemed very friendly and welcoming, and I wanted to be a part of that. Now that I’m here, I understand that I was looking for a smaller school, but I wanted some of the benefits of a bigger school, such as Greek Life and athletics, and I have found that at Westminster.

What is your major and minor and why did you choose them?

I am a business administration major with concentrations in management and marketing, and I have a minor in psychology. In terms of why I chose them, to be completely honest, I still don’t know what I want to do exactly, and I need to figure that out, because May will be here before we know it! I knew coming into college that business is a degree that I could take and apply in any field I may end up in.  In terms of psychology, learning more about why people are the way that they are and understanding the ways that we think will also be very helpful in whatever workplace I might be at in the future.

What organizations and/or clubs are you involved in on campus, and what you do in your free time?

On campus I am apart of Kappa Alpha Theta, a sorority here, and I am also a member of Student Foundation, so I help give tours of campus. I am one of the founding members of Coloring Club, which was actually started by some of my best friends here on campus. Lastly, I am apart of Order of Omega, which is a Greek honor society, as well as Alpha Lambda Delta, which was a freshman Honor Society. In my free time I enjoy going out to eat at the local restaurants with my friends, traveling and riding horses at my parents’ house.

What is something that stands out to you about a Westminster’s education?

Something that stands out to me regarding the education here at Westminster is that we have professors who are here simply because they love the students and they love what they do. They will stay after hours and work with you to study for tests, or if I’m not understanding a subject matter, I’ve had professors stay after class to explain the topic more in depth, in a way I can hopefully understand better. Professors go above and beyond, and that really stands out to me.

How has Westminster given you a purpose?

I’m going to focus on my purpose in terms of leadership. Whenever I was in high school, I was a part of a few different clubs and organizations, but I never got involved enough to become a leader in those organizations, so one goal I had in mind when coming to Westminster was to change this, and within the first year here I did. I took a leadership position in my sorority as chief financial officer, I also have held multiple leadership positions in Coloring Club as well as Order of Omega. Westminster has really helped me gain more leadership qualities and help me feel more confident overall.

How would you explain yourself as a learner to a leader.

I would say Westminster has pushed me to be more actively involved and to be able to be a person who makes changes on campus, not just sit back and let others make all the decisions or changes. Ever since coming to campus, I have wanted to participant in everything more and become more of a leader, and Westminster as well as the students here have pushed me to do this. I’m so grateful for that.