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When I came to Macalester, I left a high school experience
where I had my fingers in a number of pies, from theatre
to debate to sports to student government to my classes.
I quickly learned that this experience resonated with most
of the people that I met here. Most Mac kids were "that
kid" in high school. That Kid who was involved in everything,
or excelled at a lot of the things they tried, or had that
special talent or talents that made them stand out - or
all of the above. As one might imagine, it seemed like it
would be impossible to stand out among a crowd of Those
Kids. Luckily for me, the opportunities afforded Mac students
actually makes it quite easy to once again be That Kid.
"In my time at Macalester, I have been able to make a number of contributions to the school and the community around me. As a Mac student, it's almost impossible to avoid."
In my time at Macalester, I have been able to make a number
of contributions to the school and the community around
me. As a Mac student, it's almost impossible to avoid. I
took a Tech Theatre class my first semester, which introduced
me to the world of Macalester Theatre, getting me involved
from literally day one. I fulfilled the required "shop
hours" for the class in the costume shop, where I have
since been employed for work study - getting paid to learn
to sew and tailor clothes. Aside from working in the costume
shop, I auditioned and was cast as the lead in the first
show of my freshman year, Into the Woods. Since then, I
have been in at least one show a year, with three other
leads that ranged from Neil Simon's Max Prince to Nathan
Detroit in Guys & Dolls (opening April 24th). I have
also stage managed a show, run follow-spot and been on running
crew. I have also acted in shows not on the main stage for
directing classes and MacPlayers, the student-run theatre
troop.
Besides theatre, I have had an active role in the Tour
Guide program, first as a volunteer tour guide, and now
as the coordinator of the program. I have given over 200
tours of the Macalester campus over eight semesters, which
has given me a unique opportunity to recognize a number
of people in each incoming first-year class from past tours.
Academically, I am an economics major with a minor in history
- although I was majoring in almost every one of Macalester's
thirty-six majors at one point or another. In economics,
I am the president of the Honors Society, Omicron Delta
Epsilon, which brings speakers to campus and also publishes
a yearly journal of student's papers.
I am also currently writing an Honors Thesis about England's
wool trade in the fourteenth century, which combines my
love of history with my academic focus in economics. The
thesis actually started as a term paper for my International
Trade class in the Fall of my sophomore year. My professor
(who had since become my academic and thesis advisor) suggested
that I work further on the paper for potential publication
in the Journal of Economic History, published by UC Berkeley.
Finally, in a culmination of my focus in social science,
my love of history, my first work study job in the library,
and a previously undiscovered love for teaching junior high
students, I have an internship at the Minnesota Historical
Society in downtown St. Paul, helping 6th-12th graders conceive,
research, write and present their National History Day projects.
This job has opened my eyes to potential careers in both
library and museum science and teaching. The contacts I
have gained during this internship will be invaluable in
the future. They are overshadowed, however, by the joy and
exhilaration I feel whenever I get a chance to work with
my students.
These interests and involvements combined with little activities,
like captaining an IM Softball team each Spring (the Big
Dogs), attending Dramatic Arts and Dance department meetings,
volunteering for the March of Dimes, and maintaining an
active social life all keep me very busy and very, very
happy. Macalester's active campus life combined with the
professional and cultural opportunities provided by being
located in a neighborhood between two vibrant cities, makes
it very easy to make the most of your Macalester experience.
And if you're like me, you will do it without even trying.
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making the most of your four years at mac