Girl with the Arrow

Ashley Mason '06 (March 2007)
Kianu alumna

Nomination:

Ashley and Erin

I would like to nominate Ashley Mason for this month's Girl with the Arrow. I met Ashley the very first day I moved to Muskingum. Although we didn't get really close until we lived with each other our sophomore year in a triple with Rachael (Schumacher ’06), I feel like I've known her forever. We basically lived together all four years of college. She has become my best friend and one of the reasons I became a Kianu.

Freshman year she and my roommate Rachael pledged Kianu and I was so jealous of them! They seemed to have a bond with all these girls that I didn't understand. Then sophomore year, living with two Kianus, it was pretty much a given that I was going to pledge. If it wasn't for her and Rachael I don't know if I would have ever given the "sorority life" a chance because I thought I would never be “that girl”. But both Ashley and Rachael changed my views on that and thank goodness for them because I wouldn't change being a Kianu for the world! Senior year Ashley and I got really close, probably because we were both basically living in the training room during football and wrestling season. We were together so much people started calling us butt buddies. (Not really a name to be proud of but funny nonetheless!)

Ashley, Rachael, and Erin

We went though a lot together last year and I am so thankful I have her in my life because she is one of the strongest, most amazing girls I've ever met. She's been there for me when I needed a shoulder to cry on at 3 in the morning and is someone who would drop everything if I needed her. In addition, Ashley is someone who can make me laugh when I need to be cheered up! She even helped me find a date to the P&P party my junior year and we all know what a crisis that would have been!

For my birthday last year, we had been celebrating for about 5 days straight, so on my actual birthday I think people were pretty tired of celebrating, but Ashley and I went to the Doctor's Lounge and had so much fun! No matter what we do, we always have a good time and I'm so grateful to have a friend like that. She's so easy-going and driven and I admire her so much. She recently got a great job and I'm so happy for her because she deserves it! She's such a wonderful person who deserves the best. It's so true that you don't go to college to find your husband; you go to find your bridesmaids and I definitely found mine. I'm so lucky to have Ashley in my life, without her and a few others; I might have missed out on the greatest thing, being a Kianu!

Love in XAN and mine,
Erin Gruber ‘06

Last Update: March 2007