Taylor Storlien-
The Gustie of the Week title goes to Senior Cristina Sirbu. Deeply involved within Gustavus’ campus, Sirbu is active in a variety of groups in which she also holds multiple positions. Last year, she participated in Lucia Choir, Prepare (a religious group on campus), volunteered at the Le Sueur Jail, and worked as a nursing assistant at an assisted living and memory care home. Currently, she is the President of the Eastern European Club, an academic assistant and tutor for the Russian department, diversity chair for Gustavus Women in Leadership, event coordinator for the Diversity Leadership Council (DLC), and the vice president of International Cultures Club (ICC) after previously being president last year. She is a member of both the Symphony and Philharmonic Orchestra, loves being involved in the Theatre and Dance department when she has time, and was named 2022 St. Lucia last December. Additionally, she is on the Board of Trustees Admissions and Admission for Enrollment committee, and is a host for the Nobel Conference this fall.
During her time at Gustavus, she has worked in the Center for Inclusive Excellence (CIE). What being involved within the CIE means to her is how “…it relates with who I am, and provides opportunities for myself and other people to learn about cross-cultural learning and understand what exactly diversity is.” This fall, the CIE will be putting on the Womxn of Color Summit, which she invites people to attend on October 28th.
Last J-term, Sirbu was a part of the cast for Gustavus’ Spring Awakening. One of her castmates, Sophomore Kieran Connolly, reflects on her experience while working with Sirbu, “She is a smart, witty, hardworking person, and spending J-term with her was so fun! She is super supportive and such a team player.”
With majors in Philosophy and Russian Studies and a minor in Arts Entrepreneurship, Sirbu pursues her academics passionately. Originally from Eastern Europe, Russian studies give her an opportunity to learn the culture and history and reconnect with the years that she missed after she immigrated to the United States. To her, philosophy carries the power of interpretation. “It means a huge canvas of big, bright colors, but somehow the canvas is still blank, always up for interpretation. Philosophical thinking is an open experience to interpret the world in any way you want to without it being morally, theoretically, and biologically right,” Sirbu stated.
Roommate and best friend Sydne Hintermeister says that for Sirbu, “… there is no such thing as good enough, she will always go above and beyond.” One of Sirbu’s qualities that Hintermeister especially admires “…is that even though she is always going somewhere or doing something, she will drop everything to help a friend in need. Multiple times she’s put a hold on her own agenda to be there for a struggling friend. That speaks volumes to her character and selflessness.”
Sirbu finds it easy to stay motivated in her extracurricular activities because of what she gains from the experiences she has. “Being involved itself is motivation,” explained Sirbu. She finds that the best way to be grateful and respect others is by creating connections through conversations and following up on those conversations. Here at Gustavus, Sirbu was able to discover her purpose through a redirection of her point of view in regard to her feelings about others’ opinions, “Once I got to college and understood what my purpose was and what colors I embody, it’s not that I stopped caring about their opinions, I turned my point of view around.” By doing so, she was able to connect with others more deeply, as she found this to help her to empathize with others, “Not to be philosophical, but we were put in this world for a reason. If we lack love, we can fall into a rut, which is why we cannot be disconnected from the world,” continued Sirbu. “To love one another is the goal of humanity.”
With a full heart and schedule, Sirbu never fails to find the bright side of anything. From being involved in the arts to working as a nursing assistant, Sirbu does it all. When it comes down to why she is deeply involved on campus, “Why not? It gives me a lot of options and I am happy,” said Sirbu.