Student Profiles
Megan Caldwell
Megan Caldwell
Campus: IU Bloomington
Student Leader Finds Family Away from Home
“I’ve discovered who I really am in the Student Alumni Association,” says SAA President Megan Caldwell, a senior at IU Bloomington majoring in policy analysis and near eastern languages and culture. “I can’t imagine being as happy as I am, or turning into the Megan Caldwell I am now, without this organization.”
Far from her home in Lafayette, Calif., Megan attended a Student Alumni Association call-out meeting her freshman year. She says SAA’s variety of activities piqued her interest.
Megan got involved with the organization’s MemberCorps program, a semester-long leadership program. She says this program is what really started her involvement with SAA.
“MemberCorps hooked me because of the people I met. They were as enthusiastic as me about IU and life in general,” says Megan.
Her sophomore year, Megan served as SAA’s director of engagement. With other SAA students working in SAA’s engagement, Megan helped launch a new program called The Family. The program title was a reference to SAA being your family away from home. Since its creation, the program’s name has changed to Sidekicks.
“The program links freshmen and sophomore students with upperclassmen on SAA’s Committee of the Whole,” she explains. “We act as mentors and help them to get involved.”
“I take joy in finding students who enjoy SAA and calling IU home instead of school,” says Megan, who has a couple of sidekicks herself.
“She gives everything 110 percent. That’s what stands out about her,” says an SAA adviser. “She works hard and definitely leads by example.”
Megan says she cannot begin to properly explain everything SAA has done for her.
“It really does allow you to find a niche at IU. SAA will challenge you, inspire you, and gives you a family away from home,” says Megan.
