Every Columbia College student’s journey toward leadership is unique and builds on their personal experiences and dreams. Read about how the 4Cs of leadership are interpreted by a diverse group of young women, a new generation of leaders who are already making a positive difference.

Adventures in Leadership:
Amanda Young ’09

Amanda Caroline Young, 21, graduated from Columbia College in December 2009, completing her B.A. in music a semester early. Come fall, she will be attending the rehabilitation counseling program at the University of South Carolina’s School of Medicine on full scholarship. Amanda’s journey from music to medicine begins and ends with a commitment to overcoming her own weaknesses and a passion for helping others.
Amanda Young is named after a cat lady. Young’s namesake, Amanda Laney, did indeed have a lot of cats—and a big heart as well. When Young’s grandfather was sent overseas during WWII, her grandmother needed a hand with her nine children and cotton farm. Amanda Laney and her husband helped run the farm and even watched and fed the children after school. Young’s mother, Suzanne Young, never forgot how the Laneys came to her family’s rescue.

Young was born in Monroe, North Carolina. From early on, she was influenced by strong women like Amanda Laney. She saw her mother and grandmother as role models, leaders to admire. “They were so strong, and they did everything. Taught me everything,” she says. “My mom took care of everyone. She was kind of the family mediator. I mean, she was the rock that everybody stood on.”
Amanda Young was an active child with diverse interests. She began playing the piano at age four and the violin at age ten. At Sunset Park Christian School, she did gymnastics, cheerleading, and volleyball. In high school, Young was homeschooled. She didn’t have a prom, but she did get involved in clubs such as the Honors Society and the Debate Club. “I hated both of them because I hated to speak,” she says. “But, they definitely helped me to learn how to take charge.”

During her senior year, Young dual-enrolled in a local community college and earned 17 credit hours, including math, history, and a business course. “That was really beneficial. Probably it’s what helped me graduate so early,” she says. Her community college classes also gave her an opportunity to conquer some of her fears. “I was out of my element with older kids. I had to learn how to step up,” she says.
When it came time to choose a college, Young gravitated towards women’s colleges. “For all that I got out and hung out with people, I was still incredibly shy. I was looking at a lot of women’s colleges just because I was like, okay, that’s my element.” When she visited Columbia College, Young says, “I just fell in love with the campus here. I just felt it was a really good environment for me, and I had the grades for scholarships. It was an easy choice after that.”

In her first year at Columbia College, Young lived on the Honors hall in Asbury dormitory and excelled in her Honors courses: “They just worked for me,” she says. Outside the classroom, Young engaged in some of Columbia College’s best traditions, such as the Ludy Bowl powder-puff football game. She also gave her first vocal performance as part of the music departments Opera Scenes, finding the courage to rise above her shyness once again. Later that year, Young’s voice teacher, Professor Richard Veal, passed away. Young remembers leaning on her fellow music students for support. “We had each other, so it was alright,” she says.
During her sophomore year, Young encountered both personal and academic challenges. Falling out with friends, coping with the stresses of being a Resident Advisor, struggling to choose a major—it all took an emotional toll. Young says she relied on a quote by Eleanor Roosevelt: “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” She also sought advice from Mitzi Winesett, Columbia College counselor. “Once I finally got through it and was done for the summer, I just took time to figure out who I was and what exactly I wanted out of my college career,” she says.

When Young returned for her junior year, she took her first psychology class and loved it. She began looking into music therapy. “I told Dr. Quackenbush [former chair of the department of music] that I wanted to be a music therapist, and she got so excited,” Young says. “We ended up creating my own internship at Palmetto Health Baptist in the music therapy department.” The experience was life-changing. “I decided that this is absolutely what I want to do. I want to be helping people,” she says. “My confidence level really went up and my anxiety levels went down. I feel like I created an identity for me then.”
As a senior, Young researched and wrote papers on music therapy. She even developed a packet for first-year students about what they can do with a music degree if they’re interested in therapy and counseling. “It’s been awesome for me to know that I can pass my knowledge onto somebody else,” she says.
Four years ago, Amanda Young was a shy girl from Monroe who loved music but didn’t know what she wanted to do with her life. In less than six months, she will begin her next leadership adventure: obtaining her masters of rehabilitation counseling and a certificate in psychiatric rehabilitation. Upon graduation, she will begin working for the state of South Carolina as a rehabilitation counselor. Young credits a large part of her transformation to the faculty she encountered at Columbia College. “The faculty here is so amazing. They push you hard, because they know you can do it.”

Amanda Young never ran for SGA president or pursued traditional positions of leadership. Nevertheless, throughout her life and college career, she has pushed herself to overcome all obstacles and achieve. At Columbia College, Young not only found herself but also discovered the confidence and initiative to pursue her passion—and to make a difference.