Q & A with Rising Senior Sarah Menio

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) – Rising senior Sarah Menio is a two sport athlete in women's swimming and diving and outdoor track and field and is a six-time letter winner for the Tartans.  This past April, Menio placed fifth at the UAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a career-best distance of 34.02 meters in the discus. Menio is a chemistry major in the MS/ BS program with a minor in business administration. The MS/BS program allows her to graduate with both her masters and bachelors of chemistry in a little over four years. She is also a member of the Science and Humanities Scholars program which is an interdisciplinary program which allows students to explore majors in both H&SS and MCS. Find out a little more interesting information about Sarah.

Why did you choose to attend Carnegie Mellon University?
Carnegie Mellon University just was a perfect fit for me. When I came to visit campus, I was fortunate enough to meet an inspiring group of people including my current academic adviser, swim coach and future teammates. Each of them had a passion for what they were doing, whether it was teaching, coaching, or learning, and this brought a positive environment to such a challenging academic environment.

What do you plan to do following graduation?
I am still unsure. As of right now, I probably will be applying for full-time positions as a research chemist but also will look into graduate schools to obtain my Ph.D. in Chemistry.

What is your favorite place or thing to do on campus?
I really enjoy taking time off studying and watching Steelers games with some friends.

What made you decide to participate in two varsity sports at Carnegie Mellon?
I had competed in both Swimming and Track & Field in high school, but did not think it was possible to do both in college. Originally I came to CMU to swim, but when I learned that swim season ended before outdoor track began, I started discussing the possibility with the coaches involved. Thanks to Coach Kinney, Coach Donatelli, and Coach Aldrich's understanding and support I have been able to juggle both sports.

How do you manage to excel so well academically while participating in multiple sports?
Time management and organization have always been strengths of mine. I also have had great support from my professors who have taken the time to hold office hours or meetings outside of practice time.

As a team, what types of things do you do together?
My teammates for both swimming & diving team and track & field are all a great group of people to be around. As in most teams, a lot of bonding occurs around food, whether its pasta parties, team dinners, or the occasional after practice Schatz dinner.

What do you think sets Carnegie Mellon apart from peer institutions?
At Carnegie Mellon, students have an intense drive to succeed in wide range of areas from computer science to drama. It is really impressive to explore campus and see the great things that undergraduates are involved in. Sometimes it seems like there are endless opportunities available due to the resources and funding that encourage students to foster their academic growth.