Hometown: West Tisbury, MA
Graduation Year: 2013
Major: International Relations and Spanish
Involvement at Wheaton: At Wheaton I've loved playing intramural ultimate frisbee, being a part of Unidad Cristiana and the Symphony Orchestra, participating in small groups, and working in the Foreign Language department. This year I have led tours and hosted prospective students as a Diakonoi campus host. It was such a blast meeting prospective students and their families, and building community with the other hosts.
Why Wheaton? When I visited Wheaton, the genuineness of the student body and the willingness of professors to take time to talk to me, even as a prospective student, really stood out. I wanted to be a part of the Christian community here, and I appreciated the way that Wheaton seeks to educate the whole student. The beautiful thing about Wheaton is that so much learning goes on inside the classroom and out of it—talking to friends about challenging global issues, praying together regularly, service opportunities, and taking advantage of our proximity to Chicago have all added to that.
Why your major? I could talk about or listen to someone else talk about current events, history, politics, culture, and language all day, and International Relations and Spanish provide the perfect intersection of these subjects. I chose my majors because I am excited about opportunities to serve, study, travel, and work abroad. At Wheaton I've already been blessed to do some of these things through the Hastert Center which sponsors politically-minded events (I got to attend a dinner with Dennis Hastert and meet the former President of Bolivia) and study abroad. Last summer I traveled across Spain with the Wheaton in Spain trip, complete with a homestay, language study, cheering on the winning World Cup team, sightseeing, a service project, and lots of memorable moments with friends.
Favorite class and what you liked about it:
International Political Economy with Dr. Vanderhill reminded me of why I love the IR major. We talked about everything from global capitalism to ending world hunger. I liked the interactive nature of the class, and especially enjoyed one of the books we read: Enough: Why the World's Poor Starve in an Age of Plenty by Thurow and Kilman. In addition to giving a thought-provoking analysis of one of our world's biggest issues, the book devoted several pages to Wheaton College! I think I said something like "yeah Wheaton" with a fist pump out loud in the library when I was reading the book...oops! Good read.
Another of my favorite classes was Spanish American Literature. Professor Roop sometimes brought his classical guitar to class and would present a musical version of the work we were studying to set the mood. That definitely added another dimension to literature!
Favorite place on campus: The lawn behind Smith-Traber dorm—a sunny, green place to study, throw a frisbee, or have a campfire and s'mores.
Free time activities: Going to College Union events like the class films and the roller disco, playing frisbee, watching movies or talking for hours over a meal with friends, attending one of many of the fabulous lectures on campus, going out to coffee, playing the viola, climbing the rock wall in the Sports and Recreation Center (SRC).
One thing you wish you knew about college before you got here: Don't forget to bring your craziest dress-up attire—it will always come in handy here at Wheaton!
Wheaton in three words: Intense, Life-giving, Family
Most memorable experience at Wheaton: From Freshman class worship to the Diakonoi retreat, birthday parties, banquets, and trips to Chicago, I feel like I've had a lifetime's worth of memorable experiences here! I've especially enjoyed my times up at Honey Rock, Wheaton's Northwoods Campus. I went there over spring break with about ten other students. Though we didn't know each other well before going, we had such a blast. Our first night up there, we went outside to look at the stars, and ended up building a campfire, singing and worshiping together for over an hour. That hour made me so thankful to be a student at Wheaton.
Favorite campus event: Class Films
Favorite Wheatonism: Dine with a Mind
What person at Wheaton has had the greatest impact on you and why? Dr. Christine Kepner, Kurt Bullis, Dr. Larycia Hawkins, and so many more! I'm tempted to write down the names of all of the faculty and staff that I've interacted with, because whether through class, field trips, Dine with a Mind or study abroad—so many of them have been great role models of Christian intellectuals for me. The professors are one of the best aspects of Wheaton: they have prayed with and for me, listened, written encouraging notes, invited me to their homes, shared meals through Dine with a Mind, and worked with me in planning for the future.
About me: I grew up in Massachusetts with two younger sisters and went to public school. At Wheaton I have found a challenging academic environment that has strengthened and encouraged my faith, providing me with a solid jumping off point for the rest of my life. The Christian community here has stretched me to go deeper in my relationship with God in every aspect of life and to share this faith journey with amazing friends. After Wheaton I hope to travel a lot, go on to grad school, and ultimately work for an international organization.
Bonus fact: I love sailing. When my mom signed me up for a free sailing program as a kid, I ended up loving it so much that I sailed competitively for a few years.