I chose Heidelberg because the faculty automatically made me feel at home. The first professor I met on campus was Dr. Marc O'Reilly. Not only did he prioritize me as a person and my personal goals, but had remembered me from a tour I completed almost a year prior.
This is actually a really long story. I entered majoring in Political Science because I loved the ability to analyze and dissect stances. In my first semester, I took a Philosophy class by accident and enjoyed the philosophical framing of thought and how that can stretch one's beliefs. Ultimately, my sophomore year I took Intro to Computer Science to fulfill a general education requirement. Computer Science was -- in my mind -- a perfect addition to my education. The intersection of these three disciplines was the ability to solve puzzles and tell stories.
A major challenge I encountered while at Heidelberg was finding my spot academically and socially on campus and I handled it by trying a little bit of everything. During my time at Heidelberg I've been an athlete, a Greek, part of faculty committees, part of student committees, a club president, a club member, a student worker, and at one point I was none of the above -- simply a student. The beauty of Heidelberg was that since the campus is smaller than average, I wasn't pigeon-holed into being one thing my freshman year. I entered as an athlete majoring in the Humanities, yet was able to try my hand at so many different hats socially and academically on campus. I got to try anything and everything I was interested in while also learning a little bit about myself every step of the way.
Above all, Heidelberg prepared me to connect with people. The small sphere of Heidelberg and its network has really allowed me to connect with people from all over the world.
Outside of the classroom, I was involved in a lot. I was a member or held leadership positions on the volleyball team, The Patricia Adams Selection Committee, Zeta Theta Psi, Rho Eta Delta, Honors Activity Board, Model United Nations, Greek Life Council, and Pi Sigma Alpha. I also worked as an academic coach, writing consultant, Sexual Assault prevention coordinator, and in Saurwein.
My favorite extra-curricular activity was Model United Nations because of the experiences and connections that established my confidence early on in my time at Heidelberg. Although I wasn't able to finish out the program as I had planned due to COVID, Model UN was a highlight of my time here. I was originally drawn to the program in high school, and the trips to San Francisco during my freshman and sophomore years were unbelievable. Not only did it teach me a lot academically, but I also found some of my absolute best friends and derived confidence in myself from the confidence my classmates surrounded me with. I will never forget spending late nights in the shared executive suite and I make sure to get foot at Wipeout in Fisherman's Warf whenever I'm in the Bay Area.
One faculty or staff mentor or advisor who impacted my ‘Berg experience is Dr. Marc O'Reilly because he has been with me every step of the way. I first met Marc over facetime because my cousin who was a current student insisted that I meet him during my college search. From that moment to chatting with me during my visits to insisting I meet him during office hours my first week of classes, Marc has always been there for me both as a mentor academically and on a personal level. He has given me invaluable contacts, information, and guidance professionally while always checking in on me emotionally as well. Although he may text me back at 3 a.m., Marc genuinely has cared about me and fostered my academic success. Part of the beauty of Heidelberg is that the professors get to know you personally and give you a level of support that is unmatched. I also cannot go without mentioning that Dr. Josh Bowman and Sean Joyce have also been extremely valuable mentors for me and I cannot begin to thank them for all their help.
My favorite Heidelberg memory is meeting and interviewing Laura and Barbara Bush. They were extremely kind and gracious despite my nerves about meeting such affluent women. I cannot thank Heidelberg and the Adams family enough for this amazing opportunity. I had dinner with Laura Bush and she was such an amazing woman, asking us questions about our plans and lives at Heidelberg. I even got Christmas card from the family inviting me to their library in Texas!
My plans after graduation are to move to New York City to work full time as an analyst and remotely pursue my master's in Cybersecurity, Technology, and Public Policy part time at the University of Colorado.