My name is Mary Hinek, and I’m loving my first year at USD! I’m from a city called Pleasanton, in the Bay Area. I’ve grown up in Pleasanton my whole life with my mom, dad, and two brothers(and my dog Buddy). Most of my extended family lives in the Bay Area as well, so family has always been one of the most important things in my life. We also spend a lot of time vacationing at my cabin in Twain Harte, where a lot of my family has cabins. My memories there from summer and winter breaks will always be some of the best childhood memories. In high school, I was on the Cheerleading and Diving team and eventually got to be captain of both-which was a great experience learning how to handle leadership. I’ve always loved SoCal so coming to San Diego for college was perfect for me! Here at USD, I met a great group of friends and we’ve been close ever since the first week! In addition to meeting some great friends, I joined the vegan club. This club became a great opportunity to meet people who share a similar diet as I do and learn more about the positive reasons to adapt plant-based diet. Recently, I joined a sorority here at USD called Gamma Phi Beta and I’m so excited to be apart of it! Learning about the tightnit sisterhood and the philanthropy that Gamma Phi Beta has to offer is what made me the most motivated to join.