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The Student News Site of Saint Louis University

The University News

The Student News Site of Saint Louis University

The University News

Let Us Introduce You: Max Hammond

Let+Us+Introduce+You%3A+Max+Hammond

Senior Max Hammond, from Evergreen, Colo., is spending the semester at SLU Madrid and majoring in psychology and communication, with a minor in human resource management.

He has held an affinity for psychology since high school, and Max originally wanted to study neuroscience. However, he realized by the end of his first year at SLU that biological studies were not something that he really wanted to pursue after undergraduate.

He eventually landed on focusing on industrial-organizational psychology (in other words, a big fancy term for workplace psychology).

Max enjoys studying team building and organizational behavior. Communication has really helped drive his passion for teaching and facilitation. He says that he has grown to enjoy studying diversity and inclusive language as it applies to both college students and work environments.

Currently, Max is involved in fraternity and sorority life, League of Laughter and Free to {Be}.

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He felt burned out by the end of his sophomore year after being involved in too many clubs.

The organization that he is currently most passionate about is Free to {Be}. It is an endorsed student organization that focuses on educating the SLU community on intersectional feminism and equity.

Free to {Be} plans and hosts a week-long series of events which brings speakers to talk about feminism. along with various events covering a wide range of topics. They try to incorporate many of the promises that the Oath of Inclusion contains and hope to actively engage the SLU community in discussing these topics.

SLU made him realize his passion is something that he needs to make his career. Max said that his involvement in these organizations and in relevant classes have pushed him towards a life of wanting to teach and educate young people about those very same issues, whether that be in the workplace or as a college professor.

The experiences that he had as a First-Year Experience Leader have been some of his favorite memories at SLU.

Max had wanted to be a part of FYE ever since freshman year, when an Oriflamme leader walked him back to his residence hall because he was unable to participate in the square dance during Fall Welcome. About a week before Max was supposed to start school, he suffered a seizure and fractured his T3 vertebrae in his spine.

“The best part was that she never had once mentioned my disability and treated me like a person. I felt welcomed.”  He claims it has been humbling and rewarding to watch students that he meets during the summer thrive at SLU.

Max has two favorite memories involving FYE: the first during SLU 101 was during his second peer groups when they discuss the meaning of the Oath of Inclusion and how it is embedded in SLU’s mission.

Most of the first-year students are quiet during these portions, but eventually the whole group is able to talk about diversity and identity.

A second memory was being able to take photos for Oriflamme.

Everyone on the team was always so lovely to photograph, and Max said he could really feel the energy and passion that all the Oriflamme leaders had for the program. It was something he found exhausting but nonetheless inspiring.

 

Q&A with Max Hammond

Q. If you could have a night on the town with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and why? 

Ghandi (assuming we can understand each other). I want to hear what this man has to say about the problems currently facing our world today. I have so many questions running through my head and I want to see if he has answers to them or can give me guidance.

Q. What is your most interesting hobby or habit?

I love photography and taking to other camera nerds about it.

Q. If you could ride any animal into battle, what would it be and why?

Easily on a Velociraptor or in tandem with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

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