Rae Levenson knew she wanted to go to Plattsburgh State when she was in eighth grade. She has been practicing Tai Kwon Doe for 10 years, and while she was teaching, Levenson taught a little boy with Autism how to perform. From there, she realized she wanted to be a special education teacher.
Before she had even started high school, Levenson took the PSATβs, and she started receiving mail from different colleges. She started making lists of the different special education programs that colleges offered and by the end of eighth grade, she had already decided on PSUC. She said she liked that Plattsburgh had a five-year program.
βI knew what I wanted to do, and I knew in high school, it would be stressful,β she said. βI figured Iβd just start looking when I knew.β
When Levenson joined the childhood education program at PSUC, she started field experience during her first semester, which helped her realize that she was on the right path. Levenson said she not only realized how much she enjoyed working with kids, but also realized that she loved teaching as well.
βYouβre with the same group of people, which is really nice because you get super close to people,β Levenson said.
Senior childhood education and special education major Elizabeth Doyle was partners with Levenson for Project Connect, which is an afterschool program for students in their major. She said Levenson is someone who very outgoing and hardworking in class.
β You walk down the halls with her and sheβs saying hi to every other person,β she said.
Doyle said Levenson is dedicated to her major as well. She said Levenson is someone whoβs in her major because she enjoys work with kids.
βHer whole aura is very uplifting and strong-spirited,β she said. βShe could be having the worst day and sheβll say her day is still a 10 out of 10.β
Levenson is currently the captain of the rugby team. During her first semester, Levenson was convinced to join the PSUC rugby team while she was checking in.
βI didnβt even know what a rugby ball looked like, but when I was checking in, I wore a shirt that said βKick Assβ and the RD of the building said if you want to kick ass, you should talk to the captain of the rugby team,β Levenson said. βSo I just went for it.β
Currently, Levenson has the most experience on the team. She said in rugby, there is a certain level of trust her teammates have to form to be safe on the field, and that also translates to them being so close as a team. Levenson said they usually play local schools, and itβs all friendly competition between other schools as well.
βRugby culture in general is super accepting and itβs just this beautiful conglomeration of people who would otherwise not know each other, and weβre all just super close,β Levenson said.
Levenson became a CA for Whiteface Hall her sophomore year and has been a PSUC orientation leader. Levenson said she was always hanging out in the Resident Life Office, so she got recommended to become a CA.
βItβs cool because you know all of Res Life when youβre in Res Life, so you know everybody,β Levenson said. βItβs a great group of diverse people who are leaders, so you have this great network of people who you can reach out to for just about anything because theyβre all trained.β
Levenson said itβs also interesting to watch her residents flourish in college as well. She said during studentβs first year, they might be hesitant to try anything new, so sheβs glad they have different programming efforts because freshmen tend to respond well to them.
βOne of the ways you can get people out of their shells or get people to really be themselves is by doing it themselves,β she said. βIt makes you really love yourself. And like be comfortable being yourself because you can model it for other people.β
PSUC junior communication disorder science major and psychology minor Sarah Keyes said that Levenson has been both influential with her involvement with reslife and with rugby. Keyes met Levenson on her first day of college, as Levenson was her CA at the time.
βWhen I first walked into my building with my parents, a very energetic female with a short pixie cut comes running out asking what floor Iβm on. I said I was on the sixth floor, and she said she was my CA,β Keyes said. βShe was energetic and throwing her arms out, and I thought βWhat did I get myself into?ββ
Keyes said she had played sports in high school, and Levenson convinced her to join the team. Now, Keyes is the president of PSUC rugby, and two have continued to work together closely ever since. Besides rugby, Levenson also convinced Keyes to join reslife. Keyes said Levenson has had an impact on her college experience.
βShe canβt not smile. Even when sheβs sad or crying, she literally canβt not smile,β Keyes said. βShe has a βIβm mad at youβ smile, βIβm disappointedβ smile and a βIβm sadβ smile but itβs always just a smile.β
Levenson said she tends to show her personality too to show her residents that they can be who they are.
βOne of the things I like to do is be super flamboyant and out there and then people can look at that, and see Iβm a student leader and see Iβm still successfulβeven though Iβm being me,β she said.
Levensonβs biggest advice for students is to make the most of it while being themselves.
βDo you. Donβt wait to start doing you. College has been the time where Iβve just been able to be myself,β she said. βItβs really great because thereβs a place for everyone on this campus, so donβt feel like you have to reserve yourself,β she said. βYou can find where you fit in for sure.β
Email Kavita Singh at fuse@cardinalpointsonline.com