Amber Baragona - Actor, Ambassador and Activist

Amber Baragona’s friends affectionately call her “Miss Winthrop,” and the name fits.

“I paid to attend Winthrop, and I want to get the most out of my experience,” said Baragona, a North Charleston, S.C., native.

The senior mass communication and theatre performance major is currently a resident assistant for The Courtyard, the vice president and stage manager for Alpha Psi Omega (theatre honor society), an Ambassador for the Office of Admissions and a member of the Student Alumni Council. She also participates in the honors program, and she is active in Winthrop’s theatre, most recently portraying Sister Helen Prejean in Dead Man Walking.

“I have worked for or volunteered with or known someone who worked with everything from Development to Residence Life to the Alumni Office. It has given me an appreciation for university life, and it makes me want to be a part of that. And it has been a blast.”

Baragona believes her time as the student director for orientation had the biggest impact on her Winthrop experience. “That’s where I saw the most development in myself. I felt like a young but successful professional, and I felt I could hold my own.”

Baragona, who graduates in May, will spend her last semester working on her honors thesis and planning her June wedding. After graduation, she will pursue a degree in student affairs or management to continue working on a college campus.

“Working on a college campus is a great way to stay involved without paying tuition,” joked Baragona.

In addition to the legacy she will leave at Winthrop, Baragona also wishes to leave a little advice to future students. “The fountain is a lot deeper than it looks . . . and it curves.”

Amber at a Glance

• High School: Fort Dorchester High School in North Charleston, S.C.
• Fun Fact: Worked as an extra on One Tree Hill and Asylum
• Additional Campus Activities: Editor of video news magazine, Winthrop Close-up; writer for The Johnsonian; orientation assistant; Loyalty Fund phonathon caller and member of Winthrop University Honors Association