Philadelphia is sometimes jokingly referred to as New York City's little brother. Temple University's home may be one of the country's largest cities and boasts world-class art, history, entertainment and employment opportunities. But, as Psychology and Africology and African American studies major Faithe Beadle puts it, Philly is less hectic than New York City, offering the chance to get involved without getting lost.

Beadle, having grown up in New York and North Jersey, first heard of Temple when her cousin transferred here during her senior year. When Beadle visited, she immediately recognized the university and the city's charm. Now a graduating senior herself, Beadle's glad she chose Temple out of the six other universities she applied to and especially happy that she chose the College of Liberal Arts (CLA) over other Temple schools. Just as Philly gave her a more intimate big city experience, CLA gave her a more intimate big university experience.

"I tell people the beauty of Temple University and the College of Liberal Arts is that you can come here and literally do anything you set your mind to do," says Beadle. "It's a space for everything and anything."

Beadle's college resume is proof enough of that. In addition to her double major, she's worked as a resident assistant (RA), a research assistant, a peer educator and a summer chaperone. She's been affiliated with no less than 12 student organizations and activities, founding groups herself when there wasn't an existing one to match her interests. She even studied abroad in Brazil.

Originally a pre-med major, Beadle realized that path wasn't right for her. But it took trying it first to come to that realization. It's a lesson that stuck with her all throughout college.

"I didn't expect to do those things, but I have gained skills and I have met people that I wouldn't imagine these four years without," she says. "I never expected to be an RA, I never expected to be any of these things, but somebody was like, 'Hey, I think you would be good at this thing,' and I thought, 'Well if you see it, I might not see it but maybe I will be.' And I'd like to say that I was very good at all of those positions. I'd like to say I left an impact."

Temple and Philadelphia made an impact on her too. Last week Beadle felt compelled to speak at the College of Liberal Arts' Baccalaureate Awards ceremony. She's now pursuing a Temple admissions counselor role. And she's staying right here in Philadelphia to attend medical school, even thinking about a future position at Temple's Lewis Katz School of Medicine a few years down the road.

you can come here and literally do anything you set your mind to do

As she prepares to transition from student to alumna while pursuing a career and an advanced degree, Beadle wants this fall's incoming Class of '23 to immediately jump into taking advantage of all that Temple and CLA have to offer. She laughs when told the student activities section of her resume looks like an exhaustive laundry list, saying she actually wishes she had started doing more sooner. She wants incoming freshmen to overcome their fears, ask questions and jump right into taking risks and trying new things. Even the ones that don't work out are still valuable.

"Remember the power in your story," says Beadle. "It's going to be the thing that serves you for your entire life, and everything you do informs your story. Think about when you go to a job interview, one of the biggest questions is, 'So tell me about yourself? Or, 'What is your biggest weakness? What is your biggest strength?'

"Those are all things that come from your background and your story, so I've learned from Temple that a huge part of everything was who I am and I was going to provide in all those spaces. I want people to know that at the end of the day, you are the most important part of everything that you do."