Student Profile October 2015: Alexa Pennavaria

Ever since she was a little girl, Florida State University sophomore Alexa Pennavaria has been passionate about the study of anthropology.
“When I was a kid, I told everyone I wanted to be an archaeologist,” she said, “but nearly every time I said that’s what I wanted to do, I would get a response along the lines of ‘good luck with that.'”
Disheartened by those responses, and worried about choosing a field that might not guarantee her a job after graduation, Pennavaria initially declared advertising as her major, rather than anthropology. She saw advertising as more lucrative than anthropology, and was interested in learning about how people think and participate in mass media. Pennavaria’s time as an advertising student would be brief, however.
“After taking my first advertising class,” said Pennavaria, “I just knew it wasn’t for me. After that, I was kind of stuck because I felt like none of my interests would ever help me become successful.”