Grace Walters
Name: Grace Walters
Graduation year: 2014
Hometown: Manchester, MI
Major: Biology
Why Solidarity? Thinking about race and ethnicity has been a recent, yet growing passion that I desire to share with the Wheaton College community. Through Solidarity, I want to promote a campus atmosphere that celebrates the beauty of a racially and ethnically diverse body of Christ while also seeking to identify and reconcile areas where such respect has been broken.
About me: For most of my life, my family has raised sheep, dogs and cats on a farm in the beautiful Michigan countryside. My older sister attended Wheaton ('09), and I quickly fell in love with the campus through visiting her. A fascination with science and the medical field led me to the biology department where I am pursuing a career as a Physician's Assistant.
What would you like to achieve from being on Solidarity this year? I would like to become more confident in engaging and facilitating conversations involving race and ethnicity. Furthermore, I would like to grow with the Wheaton College community in understanding the message of the cross as the basis for racial reconciliation.
What is one lesson of racial reconciliation that you’ve recently learned? Listen respectfully to the stories of others and respond in humility. If someone was just starting to think about issues of race, what advice would you give them? Understanding ethnic and racial identity is a long journey. Continue pursuing the truth even when you feel uncomfortable and discouraged. Keep asking questions and seek out people and books that deal with these topics. Any Solidarity member would love to talk with you and help you find resources!
When you’re not studying or working on projects, where can you be found on campus? Playing ping pong, chatting in lower Beamer and hanging out at Terrace
What makes Wheaton unique? Grace-filled community
What would you do at Wheaton if you had more free time? I would definitely do Wheaton in Chicago, Wheaton in Holy Lands and take more time to attend events in the City with friends. I'd also love to take classes in a variety of departments and spend more one-on-one time with professors and other students.