Student Spotlight

Name: Talia Nappi
College/University: Averett University
Class Year: Freshman
Program/Major/Minor: Double major in Psychology and Equine Assisted Psychotherapy  
Hometown: Durham, North Carolina

Have you taken a service-learning class? If so, which one(s)? Yes, my IDS 101 class was a service-learning project. We partnered with Cardinal Village Youth Center to tutor and teach those children the lessons we were learning in class. At the end of the semester, we wrote and performed a spoken word poem for our reflection.

What volunteer activities have you participated in? At home, I volunteer at a therapeutic riding school. Since I have been at Averett, I have tutored at Cardinal Village as part of Week to Engage. I also just attended the William & Mary Active Citizens Conference in Williamsburg, VA, and I am currently serving on the Love Danville Higher Education Council!

How do you like to spend time outside of class?  I enjoy reading, writing, listening to music, taking extra lessons at the barn, and just generally being at the barn.

What do you like most about your school and/or community? What would you improve?
I love the family atmosphere of Averett. In addition, I think there is a lot untapped potential in Danville, especially in the River District, and that is very exciting!     

If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Healing. I don’t have to be able to cure cancer or ALS, but it would be nice to heal a cut, set a break, or even heal someone’s sadness.

Where do you see yourself in five years? 10 years?   In five years, I hope to be in graduate school, maybe with a riding instruction job as well. In 10 years, I will hopefully be running a successful psychology practice on my little personal farm: 5 horses, 2 cows, 2 goats, a few dogs, a few cats, and a handful of chickens.