Community service, the performing arts, young children and diet orange soda each play a role in the life of senior Beth Carcich. As an ambitious speech pathology major from Bethlehem, a town outside Albany, she has involved herself on campus to a greater extent than most others.
Carcich wanted to come to Geneseo since experiencing it through her older sister, who was a Geneseo student before her. Despite being deferred admission until spring and attending SUNY New Paltz for a semester, Carcich said that the whole time she was there she still wanted to come to Geneseo for the many opportunities to get involved, especially in the performing arts. She fell in love with the school when she got here, and immediately became a very busy individual. "When I first got here I wanted to do everything," she said.
While doing absolutely everything wasn't quite possible, Carcich has managed an impressive array of activities: involvement in Exit 8 (a co-ed a capella group), Hips 'n' Harmony (an all-female a capella group), Musical Theatre Club, Face AIDS and numerous other activities through her membership in RLK.
Much of her passion goes to helping children in need. Through Face AIDS, Carcich helps raise money for children in Africa whose lives have been torn apart by the disease. She hopes to spend two weeks of her Winter Break on a trip to Africa to help in more personal ways and to touch the lives of children who, as she put it, "need so much love."
Carcich spent much of last summer as a teaching assistant for autistic children with emotional problems. Helping them gain control of themselves and watching as they made progress greatly contributed to her character and now motivates her plans for the future. She said that she is not entirely sure what she wants to do, but that she is "quite certain it will involve helping children in need."
In addition to service, Carcich is extremely passionate about singing and performing. She cites Geneseo's performing arts programs as where she met her first friends as well as another significant factor in shaping her life. For Carcich, an avid vocalist, performance is an outlet for emotion and expression, as well as a therapeutic activity.
During what little downtime she has, Carcich loves spending time with her friends. She expressed that she could not be happier living with five other girls in the RLK house, and said her friends mean very much to her.
As far as the future is concerned, Carcich is not entirely sure where life will take her, although she is considering going to graduate school for psychology. While she is not quite certain what she will do after, one thing is for sure: Wherever Beth Carcich goes, those there will be extremely fortunate to have her.