The friends you meet along the way

Sarah Miller
MSMU Class of 2026

(5/2023) McKenna has many different roles in my life; in truth, she does them all well. She is a Residents Assistant on my floor, a classmate in my Drawing 101 class, my boss for the news-journal you are reading, and my friend. I have seen her do her very best in her many roles in my life, and for the following 900 words, you will hear about the impact she has on me as well as the people and things around her.

On my first day at the Mount, I already had an established relationship with McKenna. As an incoming freshman, often the first person you know as a hall resident is your RA. As I moved my things in on the bittersweet day of August 18th, nostalgia and sad feelings were looming in the air. I realized that it was the last few hours with my mom and my sister that I had for the next few weeks; however, McKenna happily came by, making her rounds, and she stopped by my room.

McKenna greeted my family and me with a smile and introduced herself. She informed me of her position and duties around the hall and asked if she could assist with anything throughout the day. That was my first encounter, and whenever I approached her with something during my time at Mount Saint Mary’s, she was so helpful; I have been very blessed to have her as an RA. But even though McKenna was incredible, and I couldn't ask for a better RA, you know how freshmen act. Initially, we feel that the reason that the RA is there is to ruin our fun or rain on our parade; but once you get over that childish mindset, you can actually develop a relationship with them, and that is what me and my other friends needed—a new outlook on the people around us.

As the year went on and the freshman ignorance of my RA melted away, I got to know McKenna. She texted in the group chat on our floor and asked if anybody wanted to write for a news-journal based in Emmitsburg. I took her up on the offer right away, and after we spoke about the opportunity, McKenna invited me to interview for the News-Journal. We met in the Mount Café with Claire Doll, another writer and Assistant Editor, and we discussed the logistics and skills of the job. It was your basic interview, and they both seemed impressed with my skill set; later, they found that I would be a good fit for the team.

As I stared at this new News-Journal job, McKenna helped me tremendously. I had never had a writing job, and I didn't know how to format or edit the articles, so she sat down and talked with me to show me the basics and things that I should be looking for in the articles. She was such a good teacher to me, and I truly grew after the opportunity of talking and being with her.

After my mini-lesson with McKenna, she showed me the ropes for the newspaper and writing in general; ultimately, with her guidance, I became a better writer. I had a passion for writing, especially with the wonderful staff beside me, and I realized how rewarding of a job it is.

McKenna mentioned that she wants to write for a newspaper as a full-time job when she goes out of college. She expressed that she would like to write for a Catholic News Journal because of the background and passion for theology that she has. She is the type of person to truly have an impact anywhere she goes, especially when doing something she cares about deeply, and I am honored that she sprinkled some of her talents onto me.

McKenna is a lively member of my Drawing 101 class. We both took this class and started with no prior drawing experience, which was a hard thing to conquer. We started with these abstract still-life pieces where we had to draw what we saw and take the time to delve into the picture. For a vivid example of what we were drawing, my drawing had a deer skull placed on a table with a wheel above it, and a baby doll’s head on top of a statue. This was not an easy task, and my drawing was not as good as I thought it would be. However, McKenna took time to conquer her tasks in the most efficient way possible. Her drawing was stellar and although this drawing didn’t make it into the art show, two of her others did, which is a huge accomplishment. My art teacher was frustrated when she saw how unique McKenna’s art was because she wished she would have taken her classes sooner. McKenna's hidden abilities show so much about her well-rounded, talented person, and that the people around her, day by day, are impressed with her work ethic and passion that she approaches every new thing with.

Later, she was granted an opportunity with Mike, our newspaper owner, to take some equestrian lessons. She jumped on the opportunity, and I was able to watch her start and participate in the first lesson. Every week, I take McKenna to ride, and we have some time to talk and catch up on our weeks before she gets to delve into one of her favorite hobbies. Seeing McKenna so excited and happy to go ride horses is a great gift. I am happy that I can help her could go and ride because it is something that she truly does care about, and I am sure something that gives her so much joy to do.

She is more than just an artist, boss, and RA to me. She is my friend, too. I am delighted that Mount Saint Mary’s allowed me to meet McKenna and learn from her. She is very wise, thoughtful, and hardworking, and I genuinely wish that I had just about half of her qualities. Thank you, McKenna, for all you do for me, and most importantly, good luck!