Student Story

Say yes to every opportunity, but learn how and when to say no.”

Andi Eudy came to Catawba College to further her education in the environment in order to help her fulfill her goal to make the world a better place. Now in her sophomore year, she feels that Catawba is succeeding in helping her achieve that. In addition to being drawn to Catawba by its programs, Andi chose Catawba because she has roots in Salisbury. Her grandmother lives in nearby Faith, NC and her older sister, Allie Eudy, is a senior at Catawba.

Andi says she chose business as her major because it can be taken in any direction.

Although she does not know what she wants to do as a career just yet, she says that she would like to do something that will help “reverse what we’ve done [to the Earth] and build the world in a more sustainable way so we can make it a balance. Consume more sustainably.” She is passionate about sustainability.

Connecting with her love of nature and the environment, Andi serves as the president of Catawba Outdoor Adventure (COA). COA works to engage students in outdoor activities like hiking, camping, mountain biking, and much more. Andi says being the president of the organization keeps her busy. She has to think of a lot of angles, figuring out when vans and people are available to go on outdoor trips. Andi enjoys the social aspect of the organization, noting that everyone has to lean on each other in order to make the events run smoothly. She is inspired by the other members and likes working with the co-president to plan events. She is looking forward to taking more trips with the organization this year. With its business-like organization of outdoor events, COA combines elements of Andi’s business major and sustainability minor.

As a Tom Smith Fellow, Andi enjoys the positive impact the program has given her. It is fun because of the travel opportunities, and Andi appreciates that aspect due to her love of being outdoors and seeing places she would not normally get to see. She feels that it is nice to be able to make connections with others and to have those connections intact for the future, should she need them. She says she will be able to contact some of the people she has met through the program for job references later. She also likes getting to know people more deeply, and the Tom Smith Fellows program allows her to get to know people she would not normally know.

Andi's other activities include being a member of the Catawba Singers, and an internship at St. John’s Lutheran Church. She is also working on Catawba’s second sustainable fashion show.

The teachers at Catawba stand out to Andi. She has heard stories from students at different colleges and has learned that it’s rare to be so close to teachers and actually be taught by them instead of by graduate students. She prefers Catawba's smaller class size to larger ones because the teachers get to know their students on a personal level. Andi says that the professors are easy to reach out to if she ever needs help with classes or extracurriculars, and they are readily available when needed. She praises Catawba for being a small and personable school.

Her favorite spots on campus include the Lilly Center Coffee House, the Wellness Loft, and the balconies attached to the environmental building. These spots allow for a quiet and academic atmosphere where students can study or hang out. Outside of classes, Andi enjoys creating, crafting, sewing, drawing, and doing henna art. She also enjoys hiking, being outside, and bouldering.

If Andi was able to talk to her high school self, she would have these words of advice: “Say yes to every opportunity, but learn how and when to say no.”