Hometown: Lancaster, Pa.

Major: Psychology

Minor: Gender and Sexuality and Studio Arts 

Extracurriculars: Honors Program, Peer Educator in the Office of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Education (OSVPE), member of Coalition for Intersectional Trans Advocacy (CITA) and Coordinated Community Response Team (CCRT), Orientation Leader, Student Pedagogical Consultant for Research Methods, Undergraduate Research Assistant in the Psychology Department, Peer Mentor for First Year Seminar (Body Talk), Work Study in Theater Department

What do you like to do in your free time? In my spare time, I love reading, drawing, thrifting with friends, waiting for the next episodes of my favorite shows, and treating myself to a good mocha latte. 

What is your proudest accomplishment to date? My proudest accomplishment to date has been completing my thesis, which is on the need for transgender people to pass as cisgender and the subsequent development of disordered eating symptoms in trans/gender diverse populations, particularly when gender-affirming care is inaccessible. 

Post-grad plans: After my time at Arcadia, I plan to pursue a graduate degree in my field and, in the meantime, continue to explore the different directions I can take my degree in the workforce and beyond.

At this year’s Honors Convocation, Panyik received the Bernard Mausner Memorial Psi Chi Award for outstanding promise in human services by a senior psychology major.

“Mechelina Panyik (aka. Mec) has been one of those once in a blue moon students in the psychology department that we would be happy to have 100 copies of. As long as I have known them, Mec has been an extraordinarily driven and passionate student,” said the faculty member who nominated them. “Mec has inspired me to do better as an instructor, advisor, and researcher. Wherever they go and whatever they do next, I know they will have a similar impact on those they work with.”