“I’ll miss the people,” said Ferrum College senior Genesis Pineiro when asked what she will miss when she graduates in May. “The people here are so unique, from faculty, staff, coaches…everyone.”
Originally from Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico, Pineiro, was recruited to run cross country at the College. She was also a long distance runner for the Track & Field program, which launched in 2021. She will graduate this spring with degrees in Business Administration (management emphasis) and Accounting, plus a minor in Computer Information Systems and Technology.
In addition to being a full time student-athlete, Pineiro is a resident assistant, a National Society of Leadership and Success member, and serves on the Ferrum College Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
Pineiro’s favorite memory by far is the first day of classes her freshman year. “It was a very important day since it was all new. My first class was with all of the international students and I got to see that I was not the only one coming from another country. Dr. Suppes was the professor at that time, and she’s not from here either so it was nice to be around people who could understand me,” said Pineiro.
Former associate professor Patricia Suppes remembers Pineiro as a natural born leader in the classroom, and someone that others always look to for guidance. “Genesis has a positive outlook and takes challenging situations in stride. She was initially concerned about her language skills, about fitting in, about figuring out this new system, but she was immediately successful at making friends and did so well in her classes that her professors put her in leadership roles,” said Suppes.
Pineiro’s brother also attends Ferrum and she loves that she has someone in her family that she can lean on. “It’s been amazing having my brother here with me. I’m really close with him, so when he decided to come here, I was just happy. Freshman year was hard since I didn’t have any family here, so knowing that he was coming was a relief. I was excited to help him out too.”
Pineiro is undecided about her post-graduation plans but is considering staying in the United States to work or complete a master’s degree program.
