Saint Michael's College

Program: Sociology/Anthropology, History and Global Studies

Hometown: Leonardo, NJ

Testimonial: Saint Michael's College is different from other colleges because it has a high regard for community involvement and service. Saint Michael's encourages its students to take the information they learn and apply it to the real world, either through internships, volunteering, or starting their own initiative. As a liberal arts institution, Saint Michael's stands out as a place where students are able to gain as much knowledge outside the classroom as in it.

Why did you decide to come to Saint Michael's? I love how Burlington is only a few miles away from Saint Michael's, yet the campus life is still important for students. Almost everyone lives on campus all four years and therefore you get to know the upperclassmen fast. I was impressed with Saint Michael's Wilderness Program and really excited about the Smugglers' Notch ski pass. The most important reason for me in deciding to come to Saint Michael's was the amazing community feeling that I received when I walked around the campus. Choosing to attend Saint Michael's was the best decision of my life.

What was a favorite class at Saint Michael's? My favorite class was Directed Readings in Anthropology, Qualitative Research Methods: Life History Interviews. This course was designed to let a student gain an understanding of what it might be like to conduct anthropological work after graduation. I interviewed a Saint Michael's employee from Tibet who now works in the Alliot Student Center. I learned much in this course and in such a thought-provoking way.

Have you had any internship or study abroad experiences? I will be studying abroad in Uganda and Rwanda during the fall of 2009 for which I will split my duration between both countries and conduct my own independent research in one of the two countries. I will be visiting and working at various refugee camps and will be collaborating with U.N., Ugandan, and Rwandan government officials to work on the social disparity that is going on in both countries.