Iyatta Morgan-Mariano ‘27
she/her
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
High School: The Brooklyn Latin School
Affiliations (CBOs, etc.): Posse Scholar
Major: Political Science
Minor: Prospective Education minor
Main Extracurricular Activities: Black Student Union, Caribbean Student Alliance, Evolution Dance Crew
Hi there! My name is Iyatta Morgan-Mariano and I am a Middlebury Posse Scholar from Brooklyn, New York. When I was looking into Middlebury, I wanted to know more about what student life offered beyond the blanket statements available on our school’s website. My curiosity introduced me to my Posse senior, Sheila Camacho, who posted about her process of applying and attending Midd on TikTok, documenting her time as a high school senior, to a college Junior. She was one of the few POC that I saw posting about their student experience here, and seeing the fun initiatives and organizations she was a part of helped relieve some apprehensions I had about coming here. With us sharing the same hometown and both being WOC, I felt that adjusting here would be possible for me since she was able to. Middlebury’s academic environment attracted me to this college, however it was the shared experiences of someone I could relate to that really cemented my decision to apply.
I am a Political Science major with the intention to pursue Law School after undergrad. I’ve taken a lot of Education courses here at Midd and love the program, so I’m looking into declaring the field as my Minor as well. Beyond my academic interests, I am the Vice President of the Black Student Union and also a member of the Evolution Dance Crew! You can catch me on campus hanging out in the Anderson Freeman Center, hosting club events in Coltrane lounge, or dancing on stage in Wilson!
Why did you choose to attend Middlebury?
One of the most important things to me is community and connecting with others. The small size of Middlebury stood out to me as an opportunity to make genuine connections and feel like more than just a number on a big campus. I also loved how the Liberal Arts education here encourages students to try out various academic areas, explore different interests, and ease the anxiety of having to know exactly what outlet you want to pursue long term. The freedom and flexibility to discover new opportunities was a big plus in addition to the intimate class settings, so I felt that I could find my footing here! I’m happy to say that I have and I could not be more thankful for my decision to choose Midd!
What’s your favorite course?
During my first semester, I took an Introduction to Dance class and I loved it! The course took place at our Mahaney Arts Center, and it introduced me to the beautiful arts department we have at Middlebury. I learned Jazz, Contemporary, Hip-Hop and so many other forms of dance that I now throw into my choreographies for Evolution Dance Shows!!
Any tips for incoming students to help them make the most out of their Middlebury experience?
My biggest piece of advice is to go out and talk to people! As someone who is more introverted, I tend to keep to myself for the sake of comfortability, but it’s so enriching to meet new people especially when you first arrive at Middlebury. Our student body encompasses such a wide plethora of people from different cities, states, and continents, I’ve learned so much from just holding small conversations with the people around me. Connecting to others, even though it is very intimidating at first, helps with fully immersing yourself in the new community that you find yourself in and can take the ease off of adjusting to a new environment.