Keona Edwards ’26
Smithie Snapshots
Other clubs, sports, activities you’d like to mention:
Head Orientation Leader, EMBODY, SKDC, Volleyball Club, Blackappella
Where is your favorite spot on campus?
Definitely Compass Cafe. I’m there at least once per day, and usually for hours at a time on the weekends.
Describe your major in five words or fewer.
Collaborate confusedly until solution concocted.
How did Smith’s open curriculum help you explore academically?
The open curriculum is a little less freeing as an engineering major, but being able to comfortably pursue a minor in The Study of Women, Gender, & Sexuality (SWGS) has been a great way for me to balance out all of the STEM classes I have to take. All of my classes are very different from each other, but I feel like that helps me avoid burnout and gives me insight into how different departments operate (and occasionally make fun of each other). Despite how much I love it, I don’t think I would have even considered the minor if we didn’t have an open curriculum.
What is your favorite thing about your house at Smith?
The house community, but especially our house council. I always said “hi” to my HONS in the halls, but they all just graduated this year, so I’m sad I won’t be seeing them as often anymore. I also appreciate that we have a dining hall in the house, and the staff are lovely.
Who has been your favorite professor at Smith? What do you like most about their teaching style?
Kate Queeney! I’m actually devastated that I will never take a class with her again because her intro chem lecture was amazing! It was a combination of how comprehensive her notes on the board were (she has fantastic handwriting), her sense of humor while lecturing, and her ability to explain literally anything in a way that makes sense that made me love that class, even though I don’t care about chemistry at all. If you’re gonna take CHM111, I 100% recommend you take it with Kate Queeney!
What has surprised you the most about attending a women's college?
How much more confident it has made me feel in all areas of my life. I was always too afraid to participate in dance performances in high school, but now I’m President and Co-Chair of two dance clubs on campus and perform multiple times each semester. I feel so much more certain in my ability to pursue what makes me happy with all of the support I receive from professors, staff, and other Smithies!
What do you like to do on the weekends?
I’m usually participating in club activities like dance practices or volleyball practices, but I also like to annoy my younger sister (who I convinced to transfer to Smith) and hang out with friends... usually in Compass Cafe.
Is there a piece of advice you wish you could go back and tell yourself as a first-year? Talk to people and try the things you want to try. I was super scared to talk to people my first year, and I limited how many clubs I signed up for because I didn’t want to overwhelm myself, but that led to missing out on a year that I could have been participating in things that I love. Once you figure out what you like you should definitely prioritize, but give yourself the space to try out new things before you underestimate your ability to manage them all.
What is your dream job or career goal?
My ultimate goal is to become an Imagineer at Disney, but more broadly, I’d love to work in themed entertainment or the theme park industry as a ride and show engineer or project manager.