Megan Marshall has lived in Arizona, California, Nebraska and Ohio — but Syracuse University is the only place she calls home.
“When I first came here, I just knew it was the place for me,” said Marshall, a junior education major. “I was driving up University Avenue and I saw Hall of Languages, and I just got emotional.”
Every day since then she has embraced every aspect of SU, whether that is performing in an improvisation comedy group, becoming an orientation leader or leading Gamma Phi Beta as its president.
Her love of SU is apparent to everyone she meets, said her good friend Chloe Beaudoin, a junior public relations major.
The first time Beaudoin spent time with Marshall was at one of the first football games their freshman year.
“She had painted her entire body orange and got right in the front row,” Beaudoin said. “That is when I thought, ‘Wow, she really likes Syracuse.’”
Marshall’s incredible school spirit can be traced back to her high school in Ohio, which was lacking in school pride.
“My high school had no school spirit and I was so irritated by that,” said Marshall, who tried everything to motivate her fellow students but nothing ever worked.
At SU, Marshall found the exact opposite, especially when she became involved with Otto’s Army. Marshall was one of many who camped out hours before a game in full-face paint and dressed head to toe in orange.
“Spirit is my favorite thing about Syracuse,” she said. “Everyone here loves the school so much and aren’t afraid to say it.”
To Carolyn Blackburne, one of Marshall’s close friends, no one else embodies all of the opportunities SU has to offer.
“She is the most vibrant person I know,” said Blackburne, a junior broadcast and digital journalism major. “She is an asset to SU because she gives us a great name and a great person to look up to.”
Marshall’s campus involvement allows her to build connections across campus with a variety of different groups, wherein she feels like a part of a family.
Marshall said she knew she wanted to be an orientation leader when she first came to campus, because they all seemed to have a lot of enthusiasm and fun in the university.
“I wanted to be them so badly,” she said. “This past year was my first year as an orientation leader and it was the happiest I’ve ever been.”
Making people smile and laugh is one of her favorite things, Marshall said, who is currently involved in comedy groups Float Your Boat and Zamboni Revolution.
Both are comedy groups where Marshall has made a name for herself as one of Syracuse’s funniest students. She is currently the star of the YouTube famous “Peg” videos, where she acts as a 1974 alumnus Peg Schoenberg.
“I just love being in videos for fun,” she said. “In high school, I always wanted to become a YouTube sensation.”
Malcolm Whitfield, a junior photography major and fellow Zamboni Revolution member, said Marshall’s humor is a great strength for the group and views her as a campus celebrity.
“She is really easy to make friends with, she is friends with literally everyone,” he said. “Everyone on campus loves her. Meg Marshall is the best friend.”
Her friendliness is something Beaudoin calls one of Marshall’s best qualities. She’s always the friend planning someone’s birthday party, letting someone borrow her car or cheering up a sister, Beaudoin said.
“She has consistently put other people above herself,” she said. “She will do anything for anyone whether she has known them for 10 years or for 10 days.”
This thoughtful nature motivated Marshall to one day become a high school guidance counselor. But, she has recently been weighing other options, including joining the Peace Corps or moving to Los Angeles to pursue comedy. She’s specifically interested in receiving official training with groups like Upright Citizens Brigade or Second City.
“SNL would be the dream,” she said.
Beaudoin said she has no doubt that Marshall’s name will be known nationwide one day.
Looking back on her time at SU, Marshall said she wants people to appreciate all of the opportunities and memories they have left.
“You have four years here, live it up,” she said. “Don’t take it for granted, do all that you can do.”
Marshall said she wants to motivate people to become involved because her experiences have defined her college career.
“I hope I am known as the girl who motivates people to get involved — or just the girl who rollerblades around campus and wears a blonde wig as a Syracuse alum from time to time.”
Published on April 21, 2014 at 1:18 am
Contact Jen: jbundy@syr.edu
