Roisin Gaffney turns campus involvement into home away from home

Whether it’s for practices, meetings or volunteer shifts, Roisin Gaffney, ‘27, walks around campus with a smile and a sense of purpose. 

As an Orientation Leader, Soaring Together Scholar, Peer Health Advisor and a member of several other organizations, Gaffney has made being involved on campus her way to feel at home while away. 

Originally from San Francisco, Gaffney — a finance and management consulting double major — chose Lehigh for its range of opportunities and a welcoming community that encouraged her to get involved. 

Still, the transition wasn’t seamless.

“Being so far from home, I did have a hard time initially adjusting to college,” Gaffney said. “I was a bit homesick.”

Soon after arriving, Gaffney joined the club rugby team despite never having played before. The small, tight-knit group quickly became a community that helped her form close connections and feel at home.

Katie Carlson, ‘26, a member of the team, grew close to Gaffney after she joined. Carlson said their connection formed quickly on the field, and before long, they were jokingly calling themselves a “dynamic duo.”

“We have a very similar sense of humor, so we got along with each other off the bat,” Carlson said. “She’s been a really good friend to me.”

Carlson said their friendship strengthened through shared challenges, long practices and the support of the team, creating a bond that has lasted beyond their first season. 

 Gaffney has also served as an Orientation Leader where she was a steady, friendly face for incoming students and fellow leaders. 

Matthew Schafer, ‘27, worked closely with Gaffney during leader training. 

He said the experience can be intimidating with over 100 people involved. He said Gaffney, however, didn’t hesitate to step up, put herself out there, answer questions or do dances. 

Schafer said Gaffney is a strong campus ambassador for the organizations she represents because of her welcoming, energetic personality. 

“You can always look to (Gaffney) to bring up the energy or bring up the mood in the room,” he said. “There’s some people that walk into a room and they might suck the energy out of it, or be there passively. (Gaffney) makes an effort to be welcoming and talk to every single person.”

Gaffney said she strives to be an approachable, encouraging presence on campus.

She said she’s always enjoyed meeting new people and gaining new perspectives.

Along with taking part in experiential learning opportunities or getting involved on campus, she said she likes to help others and be a friendly face. 

The summer after her first year, Gaffney participated in the Iacocca International Internship Program, traveling to Uganda to work with a local nongovernmental organization focused on building sustainable livelihoods through education, sports and community development. 

There, she taught English, helped students learn basic computer and Excel skills, and assisted with fundraising efforts. Outside the classroom, she spent her afternoons coaching soccer and introducing kids to rugby. 

Gaffney said the experience allowed her to form a lot of close relationships while giving her a new perspective on life. It reminded her how she should be grateful for all of the opportunities given to her

Traveling to Uganda also motivated her to pursue more global opportunities. The following summer, Gaffney traveled to Edinburgh, Scotland, where she worked with a social enterprise dedicated to supporting small businesses. 

As a fundraising intern, she reached out to different companies to raise money to give to small businesses in Africa through microloans, extending her work in Uganda. 

Balancing academics, leadership roles and global experiences hasn’t been easy, but Gaffney’s learned how to manage it all with an organized Google Calendar and a commitment to communication. 

Gaffney said it can be challenging to give 100% to every commitment, but she wouldn’t trade her involvement. 

“There are definitely some times where I wish I could be more involved with certain things, maybe that I enjoy more or that I haven’t been to in a long time, but I can’t because of my time commitments,” Gaffney said. “However, I don’t regret getting involved as much as I do because all of these great relationships and experiences that I had, I wouldn’t have had otherwise.”