Gustavus Adolphus College

Before coming to Gustavus I lived my whole life in Upper Michigan. Spending my free time after school dancing, reading, and playing soccer. I spent my winters skiing and my summers at the Lake Superior beaches and hiking in the forests and mountains. The summer before my Freshman year at Gustavus I spent a week in New York City with my dance teacher and other students. We took dance classes, went sight seeing and attended Broadway Musicals and enjoyed the 4th of July out on the bay.

When I came to Gustavus for my visits and for scholarship days I felt right at home. Usually I’m very nervous for any kind of dance audition, and the dance teachers here made me feel very welcome and I wasn’t nervous at all. I always loved coming to visit Gustavus with my Mom, she was also a Gustie and the campus is such a beautiful place. I came here because I loved the dance department, and I loved the campus feeling and energy.

I love my life at Gustavus. I am involved in just about everything related to dance here. I take part in the Gustavus Dance Company, have been in Shared Space Student Productions, and the Spring Dance Concert. I am also an avid Swing Dancer and am the Event Coordinator for the Gustavus Swing Club. I also have participated in many years in the Dancing With The Profs fundraiser - our college version of Dancing With The Stars. I am also involved in Big Partner, Little Partner, through the Community Service Center and have kept the same Little Partner all three years. I am also a Psychology and Dance Major, so my classes are pretty evenly divided between taking classes in those two departments. All of my classes are really interesting and the Professors are always willing to give help outside of class time.

Currently I am taking a Dance Composition Class and we are incorporating into it a campus-wide Genocide lesson. We are hearing from genocide survivors and eventually we will choreograph a dance that is based on their stories. I think it’s interesting how we can learn about so many different things, Genocide, World Topics, Dance, Choreography, in one class to help us learn how to choreograph.

My favorite food in the Market Place changes from day to day. Right now I would really love one of their BLT wraps :).

In my experience Professors are just as helpful outside the classroom as inside. I have had dinner at my professor’s house, I have visited teachers during office hours, and I have even babysat for one of my Professor’s kids. I have learned many things about my professors through these encounters and have had conversations with them that have not even been about the class I’m taking with them. I think this is something very special about Gustavus. My friends from home who go to huge Public Colleges do not have the same type of interactions with Professors as we do here at Gustavus.

After graduating next year I am considering doing a program called Admission Possible which is an AmeriCorps program to help under privileged High School Students get into College. Eventually I think I want to become a Dance Therapist, which would combine my love of Psychology and Dance - but that’s a ways off.

Don’t stress about the decision. I stressed a lot and before deciding on Gustavus nothing felt right. As soon as I decided on Gustavus everything felt right. Make sure you feel at home on the college campuses that you go to. You should go where you want to, and don’t let friends and family influence you if you don’t want to go where they want you to go.

I love the Gustie Rouser, walking in the arb, going to the edge of the world at night and looking at stars and taking pictures with friends at sites all over campus - especially at our huge sign :).