Gustavus Adolphus College

In high school I was involved on the debate team and enjoyed the activities related to that, such as public speaking and researching topics. My first year on the debate team in tenth grade, my partner and I won the state debate tournament in the novice division. I studied Russian in high school too, and I was thinking about continuing Russian in college. In high school every year I participated in a Russian speaking competition, and every year I got second place. Because of my interest in debate, I considered going to law school and becoming an attorney after college. One of the reasons I thought about becoming an attorney was because I have spina bifida, a physical disability, and I am interested in helping other people with disabilities. I had difficulty finding a job in high school because employers aren’t interested in hiring people with disabilities and I want to do something to improve this situation. I was able to get a job at my local library and worked there from tenth grade until last summer.

I chose Gustavus because I wanted to study political science and Russian. When I was looking for colleges, I was also interested in continuing Forensics in college.

I was involved in the Forensics team my first semester. I became involved in it because I enjoyed debate in high school. I am also involved in Study Buddies and the Pan-African Student Organization (PASO). I got involved in these because I had friends who also participated in them. I enjoy Study Buddies because I get to help students who are struggling with certain subjects in school. When I was in elementary and middle school I had trouble with math, so I understand that some subjects are difficult for students and I think it’s important to help them. I enjoy being part of PASO because we plan a lot of events and activities and it helps me become more organized because we have to do a good job to make the events successful.

I have enjoyed many of my classes, particularly in the political science and Russian studies departments, but I think the most memorable courses I have taken have been the Russian literature courses I have taken. They have been memorable because the books we read have helped me think about things in a different way. Many of the books, particularly from the 20th century, such as The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov have political themes, and they remind me of things that I have learned in my political science classes. I think that political science and Russian studies is a good combination because many of the ideas in political science can be seen in both Russian history and literature.

I like a lot of the foods at the Market Place, but I particularly enjoy getting an omelet every Thursday morning.

I haven’t interacted much with professors outside the classroom.

I am interested in becoming an attorney. I am considering becoming involved in disability law.

I would give students tips about study habits. I had trouble prioritizing my first semester, and I often procrastinated on doing my homework, especially the reading for class. I would tell students that it is important to stay ahead on the reading so they are prepared for each class period.