Gustavus Adolphus College

In high school I was VERY involved in many activities, such as Marching Band, Knitting Club, Book Club, National Honors Society, and Science Team...just to list a few. I was also very involved in my local Lutheran church, Faith Lutheran, where I went on yearly mission trips all over the United States that changed my life. Each trip taught me something new about myself and the others around me as well as give me life long memories like building houses in Alabama, attempting to sing bible school songs in Spanish, and toga parties in hotel elevators in San Antonio (...long story...).

I choose Gustavus after stepping out of the car. It just felt right for me to be here, even though Gustavus was not my first choice. There were just so many opportunities and possibilities here for me, and I just could not pass them up. One important factor of Gustavus that appealed to me was how many different activities there were available to me here, like Little Partner Big Partner, Proclaim, Gustavus Greens, KGSM radio, Gustie Greeters, and Building Bridges. Another factor was the teacher to student ratio, and how my professors are always available to talk with me about ANYTHING!

I am involved in the schools radio station, KGSM, where I am a DJ and the Promotions Director. I am also on the Building Bridges committee and the CAB concert committee. I also volunteer a lot with Little Partner Big Partner, Creative After-Thoughts art class, and the Third Floor after school program for St. Peter 3rd through 5th graders. I went to the Student Activities Fair the beginning of my freshman year and just signed up for as many activities that I could! Aside for volunteering and pumping the tunes over the airwaves, I spend a lot of time doing homework and just hanging with my friends in my dorm.

I have many favorite experiences at GAC. My freshman year for my Education class we took a field trip to a high school in Minneapolis to see what it would be like to teach in an inner city/urban school setting. For me and many of my classmates it was an eye opening experience because many of us graduated from small town high schools with little to no diversity. It was such a great experience for me to go through and learn that I could be one of those hard-working teachers. I just cannot wait for my student teaching and see how I can change the life of my students as those teachers did.

My favorite all time meal, that I eat at least three times a week, is a toasted salami and cheddar cheese sandwich with veggies. I also love the Tuesdays in the Market Place because the Wok serves taco salad!

I always say hi to my professors when I see them walking around campus. I have also spent many hours in different professors’ offices, chatting about class or life in general. My First Term Seminar professor had our class meet at his house right off of campus for breakfast and to play around with his dog. You will find that professors here are very friendly and welcoming!

My dream job would to get a job teaching eight graders in a suburban area. More specifically I would love to get a teaching job back in my hometown, Waconia.

Some advice I would give is to relax when looking and applying for different schools. You will just know when you find the school for you. It might take a few tries, but you will find your dream school. Also, do not stress about the tuition, there are many more important factors about a school that you will need to take into account.

My favorite Gustavus tradition is during the First Years move-in day, where all the Gustie Greeters are just going crazy when you drive up the hill onto campus. The Greeters themselves make you that more excited to be moving in to Gustavus.