I didn’t realize how difficult it would be to write a blog post until I sat down to create this one about myself. Despite my daily use of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn, I am struggling with actually describing myself to strangers via the Internet. How do I properly convey who I am with just a few paragraphs and a photo? I think you can learn a lot about a person by what keeps them busy, and by what they do in their free time.

Let me start by telling you who I am. My name is Maris Panjada, and I just finished my second year at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. I am double-majoring in Business Administration and Mass Communications, which definitely keeps me busy. I enjoy being able to attend classes and live in downtown Kansas City while only being twenty minutes away from a home cooked meal at my parents’ house in Overland Park. I started working as an intern at Megan Neher Public Relations in February of 2015, just a few months ago.

What else keeps me busy? Besides my internship with Megan, I work as a student ambassador at the Henry W. Bloch School of Management at UMKC. I also manage social media for a local real estate team. I am actively involved in my sorority, Chi Omega – I have met some of my best friends through Chi Omega and through Greek life on campus (my roommate is a Delta Zeta), and I love being a member of an organization that prioritizes service, academics, and high standards of personnel. Through Chi Omega I have also gained a leadership position on campus. The Collegiate Panhellenic Council is an executive board that oversees all four on-campus sororities, and I serve as Vice President of Publicity and Events on that board. This position has kept me occupied every day of the past semester, but I cherish the ability to be a leader within the Greek community for women.

These responsibilities keep me extremely busy, and are partially to blame for the fact that I fall asleep on the couch at the early hour of nine o’clock most nights. But when I’m not dashing from the Student Union to Management 301, or working feverishly at my MacBook to finish projects for either of my jobs.. What am I doing?

Netflix. I do not know what people did before Netflix. Sure, I enjoy reading – I’m proud of the fact that I’ve read seven books so far this year, my favorites being Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (a Kansas City native!) and The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty. However, when I’ve had a typical twelve-hour day on campus (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday), or a day spent meeting with Megan and Ashley, grocery shopping for myself (who knew how hard this was without Mom to spearhead it?!), paying bills, and other scary adult activities, I do enjoy flopping onto the couch (or falling into bed) and watching Netflix. My favorite shows are The Office (I’ve watched all nine seasons hundreds of times), Mad Men, and Parks and Recreation. I also enjoy some “fluff” TV – Keeping Up With the Kardashians (I’m not ashamed to admit it), any HGTV show, and Family Guy if I need a good laugh.

Besides Netflix, I also spend much of my free time with my boyfriend of 2+ years, Kyle Cimino, when he’s not playing rock shows at a bar or recording in the studio. If I’m not with Kyle or my friends, I am probably doing yoga, spending time with my parents, younger sister, and beloved dog in Overland Park, or, you guessed it, binge-watching another season of The Office on Netflix. I am also a huge fashion nerd and I follow East and West-Coast trends as much as I can on my tight college budget. I like dogs, kids, and Sanibel Island, Florida. I dislike bad drivers, bad weather, and bad food. A lot of my clothes are monogrammed, and I won’t go anywhere near a motorcycle, a port-a-potty, or a lawnmower.

I hope you feel like you know a little bit about me now. I am excited to continue working with Megan and Ashley, two amazing women who have had such a positive impact on many local and national companies through MNPR. Perhaps I will be lucky enough to write a few more blog posts in the future!

-Maris