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Recent Grad Paths: Nathan '21

Name: Nathan S. W. '21

College: Wesleyan University

Fields of study: Government, American Studies, and Latin American Studies (triple major); semester abroad in Santiago, Chile

Extracurriculars: Tour Guide Program Coordinator, Wes for Harris, drummer in various classes and student shows, Research Assistant for Wesleyan Media Project, hiring committees for American Studies department, orientation leader for new students, Alpha Delta Phi literary society
How did Burke prepare you, academically or personally, for college?

The interaction with teachers and high level of involvement in communities and academics helped prepare me for college. I view my professors as approachable colleagues who want to help me and discuss our shared interest in their area of expertise. Burke teaches students to proactively seek out academic and personal resources. Burke also helped me bring multiple perspectives and angles to class discussions and be focused on understanding and connecting with the material rather than just memorizing it. Burke also helped me take full advantage of college by giving us the opportunity to be involved in many areas outside  the classroom.

How have you moved forward in your educational journey?

In high-level classes with smart, interesting people from all over the world and international experts on the subject guiding the discussions, you have to work really hard not to expand your horizons and knowledge! Especially in the open curriculum at Wesleyan, people tend to be really engaged. I’ve taken so many interesting classes: African Pop Ensemble and Steel Band in the music department, Hollywood and Big Data (taught by the head of market research and data analytics to HBO), Applied Data Analysis, and Empirical Methods for Political Science. And I’ve been lucky to take some classes in some of the most fascinating material, like Health, Illness, and Power in America and Canceled, Blocked, and Banned, which was about the most controversial debates in American Politics. High school classes prepared me to be successful in some incredible classes in college. 

What should Burke juniors and seniors keep in mind during the process?

The point of the college process is going to a school at which you’re going to be happy and successful. It’s not just getting into a school; you actually have to go there. Are there way too many exciting classes there you can’t possibly take all of them? Are there several communities and spaces you want to be part of? Would you be happy living in that place, keeping in mind urban amenities, campus amenities, distance from home and major cities, housing model, food, weather, laws and dominant culture in that state/area, etc.? This matters. Abandon the notion of a "perfect" college. The goal is to get into some schools that are going to be great fits for you!
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