Gustavus Adolphus College

In high school I was extremely active in different student organizations. My favorite experiences include a mission trip to a Montana tribal community as well as a mission trip to Chicago where we saw so many different cultures all together in one city. I spent a lot of my days as a high-schooler just doing the things that interested me--music, travel, and community service projects.

When I visited Gustavus for the first time, I was so amazed by how a college could feel like home away from home. Everyone seemed to know everyone, and yet the campus was big enough that you never really felt as if you were running out of things to do.

At Gustavus, I have mainly been involved in SEA, the Student Educators Association. The amazing thing about groups like this is that you can find a group or two that encompasses exactly what you were looking for and/or interested in and it feels like family! I really enjoy the events we plan, especially Back to El. Ed. Night, which is a night full of elementary school activities like scooters and coloring and playing with a giant parachute!

My most memorable academic experience would have to be our field trip to an urban school for my Foundations of Education class. Having grown up in a rural area, and having moved to a rural area, it was a great experience to learn more about urban schools and the major differences among the students and the faculty. As a future teacher, it was really an eye-opener. I am very pleased that the Gustavus Education Department is thinking of our futures in this way.

My favorite food right now would have to be the sandwich I created. It’s the extra-granular bread, toasted, with roast beef, with Swiss and pepper jack cheese, sprouts, cucumbers, and ranch on top.

Outside of the classroom, I enjoy seeing a professor walking back from lunch and being able to stop and chat for a few minutes. It’s that connection that encourages me to do well in their class and it really is nice to have that level of friendship.

If I could do anything, it would be to work in a research facility for the Department of Defense. As a math major, my favorite area of study would have to be statistics. I just love being able to tell people what the numbers mean.

Whatever you do, don’t forget that besides what your parents expect you to do, what your coaches and teachers expect you to do, and what the world tells you to do, YOU have a choice to make. This is a choice that will impact YOU; not your parents, not your friends--it will impact your life. You know what your strengths are, so go out there and do what you’re good at doing and enjoy the ride!

My favorite tradition would have to be traying. There’s nothing better than stealing a tray from the caf, using it to fly down the snowy hill, and posing for pictures in front of the campus entrance.