Mallory Haskins
Hometown: Hamilton, NY
Education: B.S., Biology, pre-medical track, University of Richmond (I wasn’t sure how to indicate pre-med, but I suppose I don’t have to)
Favorite TV show to binge watch? I like TV a little too much…I’m a big fan of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, How I Met Your Mother, Nathan for You, Modern Family, etc. I could keep going but I’ll end on a strong note with Ted Lasso (Danny Rojas, Danny Danny Rojas. Football is Life! Or in our case, Richmond is life!)
Favorite D-Hall dessert? Honestly, I’m not a big dessert person, so I always love a second round of the main meal, especially if steak is involved. If I have to answer I’d say Trifle! They have different flavored trifles all the time and I love every kind. I didn’t even know what trifle was before Dhall, but now I’m hooked.
Favorite RVA restaurant? Each and every restaurant I try in Richmond is better than the last. A current favorite is My Noodle and Bar. I love Thai food! Pad See Ew, more like Pad See Yum.
Biggest travel-related phobia? Being late, parallel parking, and lost luggage in that order. One of the three I could practice…
Coke or Pepsi? Pepsi (don’t hate). But Vanilla Coke may change my mind.
Favorite music genre? I love music from all types of genres. As long as it’s pleasing to my ears, I’ll listen to it.
Favorite person/celebrity to follow on social media? My friends because they’re stars to me. I’m not a big social media person.
Favorite part of the application? The activities and extracurriculars! I love to see what you spend your time doing outside of classes. If it’s important to you, it’s important to me!
Who would play you in a movie? Andy Samberg. I really think he could capture my personality.
What is the coolest architectural feature or piece of architecture on campus? Why?
I love the atrium in the Gottwald Center for the Sciences. As a biology major on the pre-med track, I spent a lot of time here, but it never got old. In between studying, I’d listen to music and stare up at the ceiling, which I was always in awe of. Plus, it has such great natural light during the day.
If you ask my dad though, it’s the bricks.
If you could take any class at UR, what would it be?
PSYC 325: Science of Emotion or PSYC 331: Behavioral Neuroscience. They’re both psychology classes and this might be cheating because I actually did take both of them. I loved them so much though I’d happily take them both again if I could. Science is cool!
If you could go back to college and major in a different subject, what would you pick? Why?
Languages or a language! I absolutely love learning languages and wish I knew another. I think speaking another language is so cool and it’s so awesome to learn the new sounds, grammar, and meaning of a new language. One of my favorite parts of studying abroad in Denmark was learning Danish.
What is one piece of advice you’d give students for the college search/application process?
Really take some time to think about what you want. Think about things like class size, campus culture, resources, food options, etc. All of these things do, and will, matter. Once you have an idea of what you’re looking for, start making a spreadsheet! Research these schools and turn that information into a spreadsheet for easy reference. If possible, try to visit!
Now, you just have to trust yourself and listen to your emotions. When I was looking at colleges and universities I would write down 3 adjectives or less describing how I felt after leaving that campus. This really helped me remember more than the facts that I could find on a college or university’s website. If you can’t visit though that’s okay! Explore their website, youtube page, or reach out to a current student to get a sense of the campus environment. This is a big decision and a long process, but you truly can do it. I believe in you!
Let’s talk about RVA. What do you like about living here? What are your favorite things to do in the city/region? What should visitors be sure to check out?
Richmond really is a city for everyone, as cliche as that may sound! Coming from a small town in Central NY, Richmond was the perfect city for me. There truly is so much to explore in the city, a lot of nature, and so so many restaurants. If you have time to explore the city, I always recommend Carytown or Libby Hill Park in Church Hill for the prettiest view of Richmond!