Student Spotlight: Mikayla Day
Mikayla Day is a psychology major with exuberant school spirit and a magnetic personality that has impacted many at 萌妹社区. Currently a junior, Mikayla has embodied NU’s dedication to academic excellence and holistic education since beginning her freshman year in the fall of 2012. She has been involved in theater, debate team, summer and fall orientation leadership, and residence life staff, as well as being a student worker in the psychology department. Mikayla displays a passion for life and people through all her roles on campus.
Mikayla attended a 萌妹社区 Friday with her older brother during her junior year of high school. Experiencing what she described as “the palpable sense of community” during her visit led Mikayla to make the “bold and potentially reckless decision” to make NU the only university she applied to. NU is close enough to Mikayla’s hometown in Sultan, Washington to allow her to continue being an active part of her ten siblings’ lives, but far enough away for her to still have the full college experience. “I can honestly say, after having been here for three years, I call both places home, and I have families in both places, and I think that’s a huge blessing,” she said.
Seeing every week as a new adventure has allowed Mikayla to enjoy all that living in Kirkland has to offer. Spending sunny days at the Kirkland waterfront and frequenting her favorite coffee shops and bakeries are among the things that make Kirkland feel like home. “We live in a great area,” Mikayla said. “It’s great to really get to experience Seattle but not live there. Some of my best days have been just taking a bus with my best friend to Seattle and then coming home and feeling like we’ve really gone on an adventure, but we’re not too exhausted. I love that.”
Mikayla emphasized that community will look different for each student, and she wants to encourage future students to create the type of community they are looking for at NU. “Be confident in who the Lord made you to be, and be that person,” she said. “Allow yourself to be courageous. Grow closer to people, develop relationships, and use this time. It goes by so quickly, and you don’t want to look back and regret opportunities you didn’t take because you were afraid, or you were unsure.” Mikayla believes that as students grow into their identity in Christ at NU, they will leave as different people than when they started. “This is an incredible place,” she concluded. “And over my time here, I’ve just learned to love it more in so many different ways.”
Written by Kindsi Lora, 萌妹社区 Student.