Anisah’s drive, curiosity, and faith are shaping her future beyond the classroom.
College is more than just four years of going to classes, studying, and meeting deadlines. A true college experience is full of conversations that shift your worldview, unexpected opportunities that widen your path, and learning that extends beyond the four walls of the classroom. For students who immerse themselves fully in campus life, college becomes a place where they become the person they are meant to be. For Anisah Smith ’26, a senior whose energy and enthusiasm spill into every corner of Eastern’s campus, it has been exactly that.
Anisah’s involvement spans the entire campus. She’s co-captain of the tennis team, edits digital content for The Waltonian, plays in the pep band, and serves as the lead intern for the College of Business and Leadership, all while balancing her class schedule. Anisah says she’s “always been someone with a lot of interests and hobbies,” so being involved in many things has been a regular part of her life. Her list doesn’t stop there though. She even helped launch Studio 1300, the University radio station, played in the marching band, and is a member of three honor societies.
For Anisah, saying yes to new things isn’t about expanding her resume. It’s rooted in curiosity and drive for a bright future full of possibilities. “I find so many things interesting, so why not try as many as I can?” she says.
Her involvement in radio, writing, and marketing has especially reshaped how she understands people. “Connecting with people has always been a part of me,” she says. Her marketing and communications roles on campus have helped her tune in intentionally not only to what people say, but to “how they say it and the message they are truly trying to convey.” She’s learned the importance of interpreting both meaning and intention “because it’s too easy for miscommunications to get in the way of building meaningful connections.”
Leadership has become a learning experience of its own for Anisah. Each team, club, and project has taught her something different, but one lesson rises above the rest: the power of leading by example. “There are standards that need to be set everywhere, and as a leader, I have to contribute to setting those standards,” she explains. Equally important is listening, which has taught her to “understand and empathize with others so everyone can feel heard.”
Her time at Eastern has also deepened her spiritual life in ways she didn’t expect. Having grown up in the church, she was always familiar with faith, but witnessing peers her own age come to Christ for the first time shifted her perspective. “It helped shape my own relationship with God outside of my childhood understanding,” she reflects. Being part of this community gave her space to consider where she stands now, as an adult, and to grow into the person she hopes to become.
Anisah looks to the future with confidence, feeling “more than adequately prepared” thanks to the knowledge gained in her classes, the hands-on experience from internships and activities, and the community that has shaped her. As Eastern steps into its second century, students like Anisah exemplify what it means to go beyond. Her advice to future students is simple: “Be involved. You never know what doors will open for you. There is a place for everyone at Eastern — you just have to find it.”