More Than I Imagined

“Pushing myself academically, athletically and through the clubs I was involved in was what allowed me to achieve what I did here.”

“Through the amazing professors at Augustana, I discovered my love of genetics, and this love took me down a whole new path!”

“Don't be afraid to go outside of your comfort zone. You’ll regret it if you don’t.”

“I always thought I would stay in the Midwest for my whole life, but because of Augie, I have a chance to start a new adventure in a completely different and exciting area of the country.”

“Take a class that is outside your comfort zone and way outside of your intended major. You might just end up finding your passion and love for learning.”

“Stay open-minded and discover things for yourself, whether it’s about a professor, club, class, organization or classmate—you’ll never know what can happen.”

“Augustana has opened me up to all sorts of different philosophies, ideologies and viewpoints. I am now a much more confident and self-assured person.”

“My professors, advisors and bosses have helped me immensely by serving as passionate and enthusiastic role models for me as I found my niche at Augustana.”

“In the last couple of years, my teammates and I have helped to transform the culture of the tennis program to one of hard work and perseverance both on and off the court.”

“The peak experience had to be when we won General Excellence at ICPA because it really showed all of the hard work everyone at the Observer puts into the paper.”

“I am surprised by how much I have grown as a person. After meeting new people and traveling to Ecuador, I have realized that the relationships you build are the most powerful tool you can have.”

“I traveled the country and taught at the Alpha Boys School in Kingston, Jamaica. This trip was one of the most moving experiences of my life and helped reinforce that teaching is the right career path for me.”

“I hope to be part of the JETs program and teach English in Japan for at least a year! After that I plan to teach first or second grade here in the States.”

“I have achieved many initial goals, accomplished new ones, and have seen some change for the better as I learned more about myself.”

“There will be a lot of experiences in college that require open minds and the ability to see perspectives that are different from your own.”

“My peak experience was presenting my Senior Inquiry project for history at the Phi Alpha Theta Biennial Convention in Orlando, Fla.”

“I have grown in so many capacities that I did not imagine possible. Augustana helped me establish goals and ambitions that keep me eager to learn more and persevere in my field.”

“Of all the schools I visited, Augustana by far felt like the best place for me to grow. I felt at home.”

“Avoid blindly closing doors to new experiences and opportunities that have been opened for you.”

“If you're like me, you could enter college expecting a future filled with cubicles and copiers... and leave having traveled to four countries and eight states, presented at six conferences, and being accepted to a fully funded Ph.D. program.”

“Looking at the growth I have had on so many levels, I always surprise myself with what I would not have been without the experiences here at Augustana.”

“I believe it's the indescribable feeling of walking through Augie's quad and somehow knowing you are worth something here. ”

“I used the laboratory skills that I learned at Augustana and applied them to a topic that was completely new to me. I recently found out I have been selected to participate in another internship at Argonne National Laboratory this summer.”

“I am studying music, obviously, but at a very different school environment. It is much more intimate here.”