Emily Bajalia’s outgoing personality allowed her to pursue all of her passions during her four years at the University of Miami, both in and outside of the classroom.
A dedicated campus leader, Bajalia served as president of the Panhellenic Association and was treasurer on the 2017-2018 Student Government “Unlimited” Executive Board, serving alongside President Adrian Nuñez and Vice President Coleman Reardon.
“I had a unique perspective as a Greek leader because of my various involvements,” Bajalia said. “I was able to encourage Greek students to get involved in other areas of campus and really be part of one community.”
That and her feeling that she always had someone available to listen and guide her through her campus involvements, “is unique to our campus,” she said.
As president of Panhellenic, Bajalia represented nearly 1,200 Greek women at the University. “Realizing that I was a person who could be relied on for such a huge and diverse group of people is something I will never forget,” she said.
She reflected that those experiences, as Panhellenic president and an executive board member of Student Government, taught her how to listen, how to motivate others and how to be confident.
“Emily is an advocate for not just Panhellenic, but all women on the UM campus,” said Dayle Wilson, assistant dean of students and advisor to the Panhellenic Association. “She lives out the values of sisterhood and set the standard high for all women at the University of Miami. Emily strongly believed that it was important to unify the sorority women on campus regardless of their affiliation. She was and is a model leader and embodies the values of Panhellenic—scholarship, leadership, and service.”
A sister of the Gamma Alpha chapter of the Zeta Tau Alpha women’s fraternity, Bajalia also made time to serve on UM’s Homecoming Executive Committee and with Camp Kesem. She was a President’s 100 Student Ambassador and a KIND University Ambassador and was tapped into three honor societies—Iron Arrow, Omicron Delta Kappa, and Mortar Board.
“Emily is someone who brings a feeling of positive energy to every room she walks into. She likes to keep the mood light, but always gets her work done and done well,” said Brandon Gross, associate director of the Student Center Complex and advisor to Student Government. “She is reliable and pays attention to detail with every task. I have truly enjoyed the opportunity to work with Emily and know that bright things are in her future. She will always be a positive reflection on The U!”
A native of Jacksonville, Fla., Bajalia graduates from UM with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in marketing and minors in communication and Spanish. Having discovered the media side of business during her experience as a Miami Business School Goldstein-Milo Marketing Scholar, she plans to pursue a career in the entertainment media industry following her summer travels to the Czech Republic and Greece.
