Melanie Cionfolo
What song or songs will always remind you of your time at Wake Forest? Why?
“Levitating,” by Dua Lipa. My sophomore-year roommate listened to it over 400 times in that year, so every time I hear it, I’m transported back to my dorm in Davis.
What non-academic experience at Wake Forest was most meaningful to you?
I have been involved with DESK for the last three years, and have been a student director for the last two. DESK is an annual event where we partner local elementary students with various Wake Forest student groups to design a desk for the kids to keep. Many of these students do not have a proper study space at home, so we help the kids design an inspiring and designated spot to encourage their studies. It is so awesome every year to see how excited both the student groups and the kids get during this event. My education has always been so important to me, so I am glad to have had the opportunity to help younger students through DESK.
Wake Forest’s Pro Humanitate motto is a guiding philosophy for many students and alumni. Did it have an impact on your student experience and has it influenced your plans for the future?
I’ve always resonated with the Pro Humanitate motto, but I think I have now adopted the motto into my life in so many little ways. To me, Pro Humanitate means trying to ease and better the lives of those around you in whatever way you’re able to. On the grand scale, this looks more like “What can I do to improve the community?” Most of the time, it’s “What can I do to help my peers?” So many people have helped me throughout my time at Wake Forest, whether it has been support from friends or discussions about potential careers with alumni, so it is important to me that I find ways to give back to those around me.
What was your favorite class outside your major or minor areas of study and why did it appeal to you?
My favorite class outside my areas of study was Music of World Cultures with Dr. Clendinning. Music is such an integral part of every culture, so it was pretty cool to get a little taste of countries all throughout the world. We even got to attempt to play some of these genres such as Balinese Gamelan and Tamboo Bamboo. At the end of the class, we also made Kalimbas and a shaker instrument out of a gourd grown in Campus Gardens.
Wake Forest has lots of traditions, and sometimes students create their own. Do you have a favorite Wake Forest tradition?
Pitsgiving! The excitement on campus for Pitsgiving every year is unmatched.
Now that you are a graduating student, what advice do you wish you could have given yourself as an incoming student four years ago?
Don’t worry that you’ll look weird by taking the initiative. The only way you can achieve the things you want, whether that’s more friends or a career in a certain field, is by being vulnerable and putting yourself out there.