This week’s Faculty Focus features College Admissions counselor, Allison Daniel. Ms. Daniel helps students with applications, scholarships, and staying sane during senior year. Ms. Daniel has been at RMA for five years and will be leaving us in January to join the Peace Corps in Namibia, Africa. To learn more about our beloved college counselor read the interview below!

Q1. Where are you from originally?

A.  I was born in God’s country…i.e., Chapel Hill.

Q2. Where did you go to college?

A. My Bachelor’s degree is from Eastern Kentucky University and my Master’s degree is from UNC-Chapel Hill.

Q3. Major? Why did you choose it?

A.  Social Work for both degrees. I tripped into my first Social Work course because I needed a class on Thursday at 1:00 to fill out my schedule during my 2^nd semester in college. I loved the class (Social Work and the Law), made an “A” and decided to head down that path.

Q4. What are your hobbies/interests?

A. Travel and exploring the world, snow skiing, watersports, lifetime learning, my children, my English Cream Golden Retriever…oh yea, I’m an avid podcast listener…If you don’t believe me, ask Ms. O’Brien!

Q5. Have you been involved in sports, music, art, etc. growing up? If so, elaborate.

A. I swam in high school and coached swimming for a few years. I used to play the piano and the guitar but was never very good. I tried to paint but wasn’t very successful at that either.

Q6. Have you had any experience abroad?

A. I lived in Thailand as a child. I’ve travelled to Africa, Asia, Europe, Canada, Central and South America over the years. My children and I went to El Salvador every summer for 11 years to build houses for the poor.

Q7. If you had to select one moment in your life that defined you, what would it be?

A.  I don’t think we have one defining moment in our lives, I think we have a series of moments that shape who we become.  Here are some of mine: Marrying my best friend and high school boyfriend, Gerald, at the age of 25, getting my Master’s degree, having 3 children, the day my husband was diagnosed with a brain tumor, the day he died, meeting and then marrying my second husband, his unexpected death in a car accident, being diagnosed with breast cancer, surviving breast cancer, watching my oldest son go through a painful and debilitating disease, watching my children graduate from schools, being offered a job at RMA, meeting all of you, experiencing your joys and sorrows, being offered a chance to join the Peace Corps, and rejoicing in my son’s engagement to the love of his life. After all of these life events and realizing that no matter what… I AM A SURVIVOR… is probably the culminating “moment” for me.

Q8. What is something nobody knows about you?

A. I was bitten on the foot by a baboon one time.

Q9. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

A. Retired! OMG! I’ll be 66 in 10 years…that’s getting on up there!

Q10. Describe a person who has made the biggest impact on your life.

A. My husband, Gerald. He taught me to see the good in every situation, he taught me to greet each day thinking about what I could do to make someone else’s day a bit better, he taught me how to love and how to be loved, he taught me how to care about humanity. I miss him every single day.

Q11. What are your biggest pet peeves?

A. Being lied to. Just tell me the truth and let me deal with it!

Q12. Describe your dream vacation.

A. My favorite vacations are snow skiing with my family so my dream vacation would be spending a winter at Whistler living right next to the slopes being able to ski every single day. Adding in a cook and someone to clean would truly make it a dream vacation!

Q13. What is your favorite TV show and why?

A. This changes but my favorite scene from any one show is about 6 minutes into the pilot episode of “The Newsroom” when Jeff Daniels does a monologue about the state of affairs in our world.

Q14. What is your favorite part of being at Rocky Mount Academy?

A. Witnessing the students achieve success in and out of the classroom.

Q15. How long have you been at RMA?

A. This is my 5^th year.