Interview by Alexa Bandura
It is so rare to meet people today who genuinely care about making a positive impact on people’s lives and on the world around them, especially with good intention being the first goal and not power or profit. Krisztina Géczi is one of those people, one of our outstanding students at McDaniel College Budapest.
She has completed several internships with non-profit organizations, has a strong background in competitive sports, and has built an impressive academic path. At McDaniel, she spent a full year working as a peer mentor and is now completing a year as co-president of the SAC alongside Anna Segesvári.
Today, I had the opportunity to interview her about her experience as one of the presidents of the Student Advisory Council: what motivated her to take on the role, the journey behind it, and the lessons she gained along the way. I also asked her what advice she would give to students interested in joining the SAC or taking on leadership roles in academic settings. Krisztina is currently majoring in Political Science and minoring in Journalism. Let’s read what she has to say.
Alexa: Dear Krisztina, what made you want to become the President of the SAC?
Krisztina: In all honesty, it wasn’t my idea. My dear friend Anna Segesvári came to me in our sophomore year, opening boat convocation, with the idea of us running together for SAC presidency next year. At first, I was really nervous and unsure whether I would go for it; I didn’t know if I was meant to be a leader. Then I decided I’ll go for it, for the experience and the fun.
Alexa: What is your role/responsibilities?
Krisztina: As a whole, the SAC president or presidents are responsible for almost everything when it comes to student life and related programs. My role is quite complex. I lead the SAC meetings, oversee the work of the peer mentors, schedule and manage events, and be ready in emergency situations. Ever since the SAC and the Peer Mentorship became one group, we are also responsible for certain aspects of the study abroad program.
Alexa: What do you think your work as a President has brought to the community?
Krisztina: It was a pleasure and honor to serve the McDaniel community for a year as a peer mentor and a year as President. I think both Kócs & Trunecz’s SAC and our SAC with Anna brought a great change to the college. Kócs and Trunecz started new traditions as the Thanksgiving Gala, and we brought back old ones and took it to a new level, as the International Day. Anna & I started charity events, with which the student body had the possibility to give back to those in need. A recent tradition that was set is the Shark Tank simulation for business-minded students. But even the smaller things, like the “share one take one” board, which was specifically my idea, ended up being a huge success that made the community feel alive.
Alexa: In connection to that, what did this experience bring to you?
Krisztina: It taught me how to be a good leader, yeah, I’m sure I have my faults, no one is perfect, but I learnt so much from the people I worked with. I always viewed them as equals. The only difference is that I had more weight on my shoulders if things were to go wrong. I learnt a lot from working with a partner, Anna & I. When it came to decision-making, we were always on the same wavelength; it truly felt like we were reading each other’s minds. I learnt that no matter how good an event is, like the International Dinner with the biggest turnout ever on an SAC event, there will always be people who will criticize you for the smallest of things. But people around me reminded me that that doesn’t take away from our success. It has given me a year to be proud of.
Alexa: What are the best unexpected parts of it?
Krisztina: Hmm, honestly, good question, in the beginning, I dreaded the meetings. I was always nervous; I didn’t know exactly what to talk about and how. Then, after 1-2 meetings, I felt relieved, and since then, the weekly meetings where we brainstorm, create new projects, and check in with peer mentors became the most productive and meaningful part of it. Without those meetings, nothing would have come to life.
Alexa: What was harder than you imagined?
Krisztina: I wouldn’t say overall it was harder than I imagined it. Definitely, there were times, events, weeks when there are midterms, or you get sick, or something personal happens, and you still have to show up and put up a Halloween game night, for example, because the date is on. But overall, I think Anna and I were quite prepared for what’s yet to come. The only thing that hit harder was when certain events or initiatives failed, like the Halloween scavenger hunt, even though I personally put hours of work into it to figure out games. For those failures I wasn’t prepared for, but I tried to still keep things bright, and as a lesson learnt in front of the team.
Alexa: Who do you recommend working in the SAC?
Krisztina: Honestly, anyone who is interested in the college community and has an open mind. You can be an introvert or an extrovert, a team player or a loner. We will be able to find you jobs that fit your personality. The only thing that’s really important is communication; we always highlighted it as key to our success.
Alexa: What do you hope for the future of the SAC?
Krisztina: I hope it’ll at least be as strong and high level as ours, however I wish for it to grow to new heights. For more people to contribute their ideas, and for more people to attend the events. The SAC should keep finding new ways to make money, and also for people to be willing to show up for events. It’s all about good advertising and people knowing you and the mentors.
Alexa: What did you guys accomplish this year with Anna?
Krisztina: Besides the events that I already mentioned, I would say we accomplished bringing the SAC budget to such a height that it hasn’t been before. The initiative to collect 50 ft bottles ended up being a huge success alongside other forms of donation. We established a new position with the SAC, Art representative. We were also praised for collaborating more with the Pre-med and BSM (Budapest Semester in Mathematics) program.
Alexa: What’s the moral of the story?
Krisztina: It’s about caring for the community you exist in. It’s work, but the reward is an experience that’s hard to get elsewhere at such a young age. It’s bringing students together and helping out with whatever we can. I’d say the SAC is the heart of the college, and I am lucky to have been a part of building its environment for the better!
I would like to thank Krisztina for taking the time to do this interview with me and for sharing her experience as one of the SAC presidents during the 2025-2026 academic year.
If you have any questions about the SAC and its work, or if you are interested in joining this dedicated group in making our college community a better place for students, follow us on Instagram at @mcdanielbudapest and feel free to DM us with any questions.
Photos by FJ, Ali Gyuri
