When Alli Botelho stepped onto Seattle Pacific’s campus as a freshman, she didn’t know what she wanted to pursue for her career. But after four years of life-changing classes, friendship-building, a rich on-campus community, and other transformational experiences, Alli now knows exactly what she wants to do. She plans to earn her master’s degree in college student development and invest in students the way SPU invested in her.
“I never want to leave college!” she says.
A psychology major from Hawaii, Alli found a new home at SPU. She got involved in a wide range of activities on campus, including the Ohana O’ Hawaii Club, Multi-Ethnic Programs, the John Perkins Center, Latreia service days, and Student Involvement. “Being involved on campus allowed me to discover and explore my career path,” she says.
“What makes SPU unique is the smaller school environment. Everyone’s very compassionate here,” she says. “College is such an important time in your life, and I want to be family to college students the way SPU faculty and staff were family to me.”
Alli’s expert advice for students? “Take advantage of everything that SPU has to offer. There are a lot of resources SPU provides. Take initiative to try new things. College is a time of growth, and finding who you are as a person and what you want to pursue in your life.”