IUP Profile: Qiana Lightner

Why I want to help people? I have no idea. But, since I was born, that’s what my, everybody
in my family has said, why is she so compassionate? Where did that come from? I was just born
like that, I guess. One of my professors, Dr. Garcia, he saw, like, that little hint
of potential in me and, like, he gave me just a little bit of opportunity and showed me
a little bit of light. I want to give other people that same thing. Just one little opportunity
and, you know, you have so much more potential. I’ve had a lot of opportunities at IUP that
I think I wouldn’t have had anywhere else. I’ve become an RA and been able to help
a lot of people, and this year I’m actually the head CA, and I also was able to join the
McNair program in which I was able to do a lot of research and… with my research, I’m
able to use that to write my Anthropology honors thesis. And then I’ve also been able
to travel abroad and learn another language and practice speaking another language. Every
opportunity I’ve had, I’ve taken it. Sometimes it works against me because I’m a little
too busy, but that’s… I think that’s what’s made me so successful.