HomeNEWSSenior Profile: Kaylee Pagano

Senior Profile: Kaylee Pagano

By LAUREN HALLIGAN

 Features Editor

“I was terrified as a freshman,” said Kaylee Pagano, a graduating senior. “I was that kid that was crying for my mom to not leave them here.”

By the end of her freshman year, Pagano was crying again, as she said goodbye to her new friends at college, not wanting to leave them.

Pagano, now 21, started her time at Saint Rose as an exploratory major, undecided on what she wanted to study. This freedom was one of the aspects of Saint Rose that drew her to the school.

An admittedly indecisive Pagano recalls changing her mind about what she wanted to be when she grew up “a million times,” throughout her childhood. “It was never the same things twice.”

Knowing she would again be changing her mind, Pagano was decided on being undecided upon entering college. “I didn’t want to pick a major right away,” Pagano said, grateful that Saint Rose gave her that option.

Photo Courtesy Lauren Halligan
Photo Courtesy Lauren Halligan

Four years later, Pagano has now earned a degree as a history major with a minor in communications.

After taking a history class with Bridgett Williams-Searle her first semester, Pagano declared her major as a freshman.

It wasn’t until her junior year that she picked up the communications minor, after she was nearly completed with her history studies. Not tempted by the idea of graduating early, “I wanted to be here for four years,” Pagano said.

After looking at all possible minors, consulting with the career center on campus, and talking it over with her family, she decided that communications would be the best fit. “I had a lot of guidance towards communications.”

Now graduating, Pagano said that she is definitely, “100 percent” glad she did it.

The communications minor turned out to be one of her best decisions, said Pagano. “I’ve fallen a little in love with journalism now,” wishing she would have explored the option earlier

Pagano’s writing has been published in The Chronicle, The Pine Hills Blog at timesunion.com, and the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.

Pagano hopes to someday be a print journalist. She enjoys the mixture of writing, reporting, interviewing, and the rush of meeting a tight deadline.

“I like the digging and breaking stories,” she said.

Pagano reports that her favorite story she wrote at Saint Rose was a meeting coverage assignment for her newsroom class, in which she attended multiple public meetings regarding a project to create safer streets for pedestrians in the Pine Hills area. The article, titled “Safer Streets Proposed at Two Albany Meetings,” was the first deadline story Pagano ever wrote, and was published on The Pine Hills Blog the same evening of the meetings.

“It was such a fun experience,” she said, calling it “the most exciting and stressful night ever.”

After Pagano’s article debuted, the Times Union had coverage on the program over a week later.

“I was flattered and annoyed at the same time,” she said.

As president of the communications honor society Upsilon Iota, secretary of history honor soiety Phi Alpha Theta, a member of the Student Events Board, and part of the Late Knight committee, Pagano is an involved member of the campus community.

Her big role this year was serving as “gamemaster” and general coordinator of Super Strose Sweep, a trivia game played at Price Chopper on Central Avenue, based on the popular television show Supermarket Sweep.

Pagano also hold two jobs on campus, one in the human resources office and one in alumni relations.

Originally from the Rochester area, Pagano attended West Irondequoit High School, from which she graduated in 2009.

This summer Pagano will be returning to her home in Rochester. “It will be nice to go home and be with my family,” she said.

He older brother, Matthew Pagano, attended Saint Rose as well, graduating in 2007.

Although she misses her home town, Pagano knows she will also miss the Albany area and her college lifestyle.

Beyond that, Pagano plans to pursue a career in journalism, something journalism professor Cailin Brown has been helping her attain.

Pagano said that her final semester has been the highlight of her time at Saint Rose “because it’s the final countdown, everything fun is happening,” and “everyone is reminiscing about the last four years.”

At campus events such as Dodgeball Madness and Rose Rock “I just keep thinking that it’s the last one,” Pagano said in the midst of her final weeks at the college.

“I don’t know what I would do without the people I have met here,” Pagano said, positive that she has met the friends that she will have for life.

During her senior year, Pagano lived in the brand new Centennial Hall on Madison Avenue. Pagano called it the perfect way to end her time at the school.

“I’ve learned so much about life and myself here,” said Pagano, adding “it’s so bittersweet that it’s coming to an end.”

Four years later, Pagano predicts that she will come full circle on Saturday, May 11 with tears in her eyes, just as she arrived, as she says goodbye to Saint Rose and the friends who have been there throughout her college experience.

RELATED ARTICLES

Most Popular

Recent Comments