February 21, 2025/Midnight
Gannon, Erie Campus— Gannon University is home to over 2,000 students at any given time of year. Within this student body, a variety of different people exist. We are united through our pursuit of education at Gannon University. However, our differences may lie in our ages, career choices, races, faiths, or a plethora of other things. In every aspect that we are different, there is one where we are similar. In Roundtable, we explore the similarities and differences in the thoughts and opinions of Gannon students.
We all have people that we look up to in life, whether they are famous figures with world-changing accomplishments, or family and friends that we want to imitate in our own lives. This week, four Gannon students were asked who they admired in their lives.
Melina Limbu, a sophomore studying accounting, says, “I would say my big brother. He has been support for my whole family, as well as for me.”
She describes, “Whenever I feel down at any point in my life, he’s been there for me, and I could lean on [him]. Well, he wasn’t like that from the beginning, you know how older brothers are. But, since he got older, I think he’s become someone that I want to become in the future.”
Limbu’s explains that her brother, who is a soldier in the British Army, has not only shown her physical strength, but has taught her strong character as well. “To be selected in that army, he has to be disciplined…in every sense. Even when there’s chaos in family, he handles it really easily…every time there’s something I can’t solve, I just think how would my elder brother solve it. I hope I can be like him one day.”
Three other students interviewed this week all work in Gannon’s Commuter Center, located on the second floor of Palumbo Academic Center. These students shared their admiration of Heidi Brieger Noyes, the director of the Commuter Center.
Shayla Mims, an early childhood education major in her sophomore year explains, “The person I admire is Heidi Brieger Noyes. She inspires me every day and also is a great listener, but also not just a great listener but a great advice giver. And she always tells you how it is, even if you don’t want to hear it, she will tell you how it is. And she’s just very inspirational every day.”
Brady Sager, a secondary education social studies major in his junior year, adds on. “You know, here at Gannon, I obviously admire Heidi.”
He adds, “I just feel obviously my first year was a little tough coming in, but being in the Commuter Corner and having someone that’s outgoing and pulling you into things, it’s an asset, in a way. And so then, she offered me a job over the summer, and I feel like we’ve grown together, or at least I have, like learning from her to be more open-minded and have different perspectives. I’ve just learned so much from her: compassion, to be more compassionate. I really look up to her, her ability to do things, to connect with students.”
He adds that, “At home, I admire my grandparents, but here at Gannon, I admire Heidi.”
Peyton Kalicky, a sophomore early childhood education major, says, “Heidi is definitely someone I do admire, because she takes the time to get to know people and get to know their background.”
She says, “She just makes a difference in everyone’s life, and I just really admire her for that…I was very, very closed off and reserved my freshman year, coming in, I didn’t talk to anyone. I would just go in the Commuter Corner and go in the backroom, I didn’t want anyone to bother me. And then I slowly got pulled out by Heidi, because she kept bringing me out and into the events.”
Kalicky also says, “At home, I probably would say that I admire my brother, just because of how hard he works, and just how he tries a lot, and he tries super hard, and he’s just a good hard-working kid.”
Whether it be a boss, friend, or family, inspiring and admirable people are all around us.
Who inspires you in your life?
