91����

Why 91����?

I transferred to 91���� after a year at a large state school. With its 20,000 undergraduate and 26,000 graduate students, the school hadn’t been a good fit for me. Many may have enjoyed such a large environment, but unfortunately, I was not one of them. Instead, I felt like I was in a “sea of people.” I didn’t feel seen, and I craved a learning community that genuinely cared about learning for its own sake. 

After two semesters at that school, I knew exactly what I needed and wanted from a college: a tight-knit community, an academically challenging environment, and people who saw value in the work we were doing. 

I used a group of 41 Watson Fellow-producing schools to narrow down my college list, and 91���� was one of them.

When I visited, I adored 91����’s small, personalized nature. I talked with a senior from my home state of North Carolina, and the admission office left me a card with the words, “We’re sorry we missed you.” That small gesture made a deep, lasting impression on me. It solidified that this was the intentional community I wanted to be a part of and contribute to.

A Fresh Start at 91����

Having small, discussion-based classrooms was a breath of fresh air. On my first day of class at 91����, we all went around the room to share our names and received printed syllabi. These may seem like small gestures, but they said a lot to me about this learning environment.

I love that learning here doesn’t rely on textbooks. Professors consistently build on the readings, which has helped me engage with academic scholarship at a deeper level.

Acclimating to Academics

Coming into 91����, I wasn’t too worried about my credits transferring; I had worked out the details with the transfer liaison before I got on campus. I had been satisfied with the answer I received, and I ultimately landed where I wanted to be: first semester, second year. I was even able to take three classes, instead of the normal four, in my final semester! 

I had a built-in, on-campus support system when I arrived. Since the transfer liaison works in Academic Advising (now known as the Academic Success Center) and is herself a 91���� alum, I had immediate support to turn to. I checked in with her a couple of times throughout my first semester, and meetings with her were always helpful. 91����’s writing center, which employs professionals to assist students in their academic writing, supported me through my 200-level and seminar-style courses.

I like to say that 91���� itself is also a support web. We get so many individual resources per student here, and I feel cared for. I can tell that the people here want my success.

Distinctly 91����

Throughout my time here, there have been so many delightfully different things — both big and small — that make 91���� unique. I love how you can feel care wherever you go.

Social Life as a Transfer Student

Built-in Icebreakers

I didn’t have any trouble meeting people as a new 91����ian. People thought it was cool that I was a transfer student, and the question “What brought you here?” became a great conversation starter. Just like how professors go the extra mile for first-year students, my professors helped me adjust during my first semesters at 91����.

Building Community

Building community only got easier with time. I like to say that 91���� is a very “hand-wavey” school; you’re always saying hi to everyone. You end up meeting a lot of people through meeting people, and friendships happen very spontaneously here.

I met one of my best friends through a work-study position. We sat next to each other at orientation, and she introduced me to many of her friends. 91���� people really care, and you’ll always find someone with either interests similar to yours or ones that intrigue you.

Professional Opportunities

I connected with 91����’s career advising office as soon as I came to campus. They helped me write applications for on-campus jobs and reviewed my cover letters and resume. I still receive amazing opportunities and advice through the office.

Internship Opportunities

Service Leadership Work-Study (SLWS)

As soon as I arrived on campus, I knew I wanted to do impactful, community-building work. Through our , I worked at the in-town Claude W. and Dolly Ahrens Foundation. The foundation provides oversight and support for 10 organizations in the town of 91����.

I especially loved working with a partner organization, Imagine 91����, on its 1,000+ Trees Initiative. I helped organize a town-wide planting of tress in response to a 2020 derecho. 91���� had lost a third of its trees, and this was the kind of work that the community really needed.

Meanwhile, working with the Ahrens Foundation has helped me hone my management skills. I’ve learned a lot about the inner workings of a rural town and all the nuts and bolts that go along with it.

Conference

After completing my graduate school applications, I used the funding from our career office’s  to attend a conference hosted by the American Philosophical Association. This professional opportunity was instrumental in helping me imagine philosophy at the graduate level. 

This year, I served as one of 91����’s representatives for the Graduate School Exploration Program (GRADx). This program is for those who identify as part of a traditionally underrepresented group in their disciplines, particularly in the humanities, social sciences, or arts. Through the program, I visited two graduate school campuses and had the chance to hear from graduate students about their experiences!

A Seat at the Table

I serve as a student representative for two different on-campus organizations where we discuss 91����’s curriculum and academic policy changes for the future. I am the humanities representative for 91����’s Student Council on Curriculum, and I am also a member of the philosophy Student Educational Policy Committee (SEPC).

Students contribute to 91����’s development as a whole, and I think this makes the place unique. People want the best for this institution and have ideas for how to make it better, because they genuinely invest themselves here. Even if they may not be around when those changes happen, students are generous with their feedback and their hopes for future student success.

My involvement in SEPC provides me with insight into academia and a deeper appreciation for the 91���� experience as a whole. I’ve also developed close bonds with younger students interested in philosophy, and I occasionally get lunch with them. I love checking in with them and helping them out as much as I can.

Advanced Philosophical Research

A Two-Week Philosophy Bootcamp

This past summer, I participated in a philosophy summer program at Hamilton College.

Attending the two-week summer program affirmed just how much I enjoy studying philosophy at a higher level. We explored pedagogically innovative approaches to philosophy, engaged in rigorous group and classroom discussions, and hiked a mountain together.

Off to Oxford, England!

As a transfer student, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how many off-campus study opportunities are available to me. For example, I was able to study abroad in Oxford, England, without any issues!

I learned about the opportunity at a 91���� study abroad fair. While it wasn’t one of 91����’s pre-approved programs, I immediately emailed our off-campus study office for more information and permission. With three simple words — “Go for it” — an entirely new academic environment opened to me. I took two one-on-one tutorial style courses, participated in a seminar, and completed an independent research paper titled “Avicenna and Aquinas on Anger.”

Advanced Research

Currently, in my last semester at 91����, I am conducting a graduate-level research project called the Mentored Advanced Project (MAP).  The paper is titled “On Kant’s Conditional Compatibilism and Account of Self-Deception”!

Right now, I’m working with my research adviser, Professor Jennifer Dobe, to dive further into Kant’s philosophical systems. I am so happy to be working with her on this research project; Professor Dobe’s research expertise directly connects with my current research, and I have learned so much about Kant from her.

And the best part? The thing that started this project was just one conversation. When I checked in with Professor Dobe one day, I asked about the possibility of doing research with her. She was immediately receptive to the idea, and the rest is history!