Name: Maressa Park

Hometown: Whippany, New Jersey

Major: English, Asian Studies minor

Campus Activities: MRC worker; Uni2Act; CBL; ASIA; liturgical ministry; honors program

Favorite Movie: Moana; Captain Marvel; A League of Their Own

Favorite song: “Breathe” – In the Heights; “Saturn” – Sleeping at Last; “More (Reprise)” – Moana outtake

Favorite singer/group: MARINA; Sleeping At Last; Gabrielle Aplin; Janelle Monáe

Favorite color: Lavender-blue

Favorite sports team: Nebraska Cornhuskers (I’m serious!)

Favorite class taken at Holy Cross: Montserrat; Writing the South; Transpacific Theory/Lit; Philosophy

Favorite Professor: Ellen Lokos; Leah Cohen

Item on HC Bucket List: Take an acting class; ski

Biggest HC Regret: Running out of dining dollars before all of my friends every semester

Embarrassing HC Moment: Once during freshman year, one of the maintenance workers came to empty our trash.  I jolted awake, and jumped out of bed—but I’d slept strangely and both of my feet were numb, so I fell down in front of her as soon as I hit the floor.

Bragging Rights: 375-day Duolingo streak; got to lector at St. Patrick’s in NYC; met Ice-T

Words to live by: “At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.” —Lao Tzu

One thing you would change at HC: Fix the Loyola gym treadmills

Favorite TV Show: Avatar: The Last Airbender/Legend of Korra; Person of Interest; Colbert Show

Favorite Book: ?! (Rise of Kyoshi; Sound and the Fury; Invention of Wings; Brown Girl Dreaming)

Favorite Kimball meal: Chalupas; pierogies (I always sneak a few in my pockets)

Favorite Cool Beans Drink: Macchiato with chocolate; any smoothie

Favorite spot on campus: Multimedia Resource Center (I’m lucky enough to work there!)

Favorite off-campus restaurant: Panera

Guilty Pleasure: Churros & bubble tea

Some small things that make your day better: Running into bunnies/butterflies/therapy dogs on campus; Zelda the poet cat

First thing you do when you wake up: RUN to class

Last thing you do before going to bed: Pray!

Favorite place you have traveled to: Gulf Shores, Alabama or Mililani, O’ahu

Role-model: Mary; my mom; Mariska Hargitay

Something you look forward to when you go home: Snuggling my cat, Boots

Post-Graduation Plans: Teaching-exchange program; writing; making art; acting?!

Favorite memory at HC: Watching my Floridian friends experience their first snow

Photo Courtesy of Maressa Park