Meaghan Gotto
Meaghan Gotto’s personality is as bright as the gold hooded WVU sweatshirt she’s wearing. Although she’s had a long day at New Student Orientation, a smile is never far from her face.
She’s genuinely excited to be a Mountaineer, and when asked why she decided to attend WVU, the Howell, N.J., native echoed many students who have gone before her.
“I really love football,” she laughed.
College isn’t exclusively about spending fall Saturdays at Milan Puskar Stadium, however.
Gotto decided early on that she’d like to pursue a major in human nutrition and foods. A decision, she said, that was personal.
After explaining how she suffered from an eating disorder, Gotto went on to say how her battle inspired her to help others . She even hopes to become a registered dietician and work in a hospital with patients who have eating disorders.
“Everybody said there’s really no healing point, but even though I have hard days I know I can beat them,” she said.
To help her through the rough times, related to school or otherwise, Gotto is bringing with her the one thing she can’t live without – a stuffed purple elephant named Lumpy.
“Have you ever seen Winnie the Pooh,” she asked. “Do you know Lumpy the purple elephant? I’m bringing him. I love him! I cuddle with him at night and it’s the most amazing thing!”
Unfortunately, a stuffed animal can’t help her check off the items on her freshman year to-do list like maintaining her grades, learning to be less shy, meeting new people, and having fun. Gotto will have to begin to accomplish those on her own, but she’s looking forward to the challenges.
