Alexandra Gary ’14 likes to keep busy. At her high school in Saratoga Springs, New York, she filled her time with theater, music, National Honors Society, Tri-M Music Honor Society and Amnesty International. Somehow, she found time between activities to focus on her schoolwork, graduating in the top 10 percent of her class and gaining admission to Syracuse University.

Luckily, Gary quickly found that boredom does not exist at Syracuse University. She continued pursuing her passion for music and theater, double majoring in music education in the College of Visual and Performing Arts and music history and cultures in the College of Arts and Sciences. She became involved in Christian organizations on campus such as Campus Crusade for Christ and Baptist Campus Ministry, performance groups including the Oratorio Society, Women’s Choir and Samba Laranja, and Sigma Alpha Iota, an international fraternity for women in music. She also interned for the Syracuse Children’s Chorus and participated in Opera Workshop and a spring break study abroad trip to Brazil.

“Syracuse University helped me achieve my goals. I was challenged, that’s for sure, but the professors I had never let me give up and they never gave up on me,” Gary says. “I am so proud to call Syracuse University my home.” Syracuse University will remain Gary’s home for a while longer. She will return in the fall as a graduate student in the masters program in Inclusive Special Education. She looks forward to getting back to her favorite Central New York fall activities: apple picking at nearby Beak and Skiff and spending time with friends.

So what advice does this successful alumna have for current Syracuse University undergraduates? “Don’t be afraid to push yourself. It can get stressful, but it’s worth it in the end. Take advantage of all of the things that the university has to offer, like spring break and summer study abroad trips, the wide variety of extracurricular activities, and professors who are willing to help you be the best you can be.”