Student Profile: Clare Sheedy ’23
Clare Sheedy never expected to end up at UMass Amherst. She had always wanted to attend the Naval Academy but, when she didn't get in, she decided to take a chance on UMass.
“I have never been more grateful to have made that decision,” she admits, something she would not have believed as a high school senior.
In contrast to her hometown of Pittsfield, a predominantly white town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, UMass offered Clare the unique opportunity to interact with people from diverse social and cultural backgrounds, and to “develop an appreciation for the diversity of customs, traditions, and ways of life that exist.”
Having entered as a public health major, Clare was overwhelmed by the number of opportunities available at UMass. She actively explored different paths, and ended up adding a Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies major and is set to graduate in May with a Five College Certificate in the Reproductive Health, Rights and Justice program.
Clare was able to pursue her passion for social justice and political advocacy through her engagement in the Student Government Association (SGA), which she first joined as a Senator for the Class of 2023 in fall 2021 and served in the Social Justice and Empowerment Committee. She now serves as the Speaker of the Senate, a position she “decided to contest for on a whim and, very surprisingly, won!”
Her time spent working for the SGA has been a tremendous learning opportunity that has fueled her passion for public advocacy and policy. It is also occasionally daunting, because part of her job involves attending meetings with the UMass administration and the larger Amherst community. Most importantly, Clare will always be grateful for the lifelong friendships she has made thanks to SGA. Her involvement in various other RSOs, including the UMass CHAARG, UMass Outing Club, and UMass Pre-Law Club, also helped her find her niche.
Clare’s outgoing personality and her passion for interacting with different people led her to join the New Student Orientation and Transitions (NSOT) team. The events held by the NSOT usually offer UMass students their first taste of campus life during the early weeks of school. Working as an Orientation and Transitions Leader and welcoming first-year students through Ready for the U and Welcome to the U allowed her to share her experiences and lessons with new students and form strong connections with them.
Reflecting on the wide range of experiences she has had over the last four years in UMass, she encourages students to “give UMass a chance!”
Though the size of the school may deter some students from applying to and attending UMass, Clare firmly believes that one's experience here is whatever you make of it.