Winter
2005 / Volume 10, Number 2
MHC's Newest
Students
They come from 41
states and 29 foreign countries. They were all top scholars in their
high school class. They have traveled around the globe, and they are
ready to transform the world.
The 500 new students
who arrived on the Mount Holyoke campus in September have interests
as varied as their ethnic backgrounds, reinforcing the College’s
commitment to achieving a diverse and accomplished student body of women.
Sixteen percent of the class of 2009 comes from outside the United States,
and more than 25 percent of them are African American, Latina American,
Asian American, and Native American (ALANA). They have volunteered at
Mother Teresa’s Home for the Dying and Destitute, secured a patent
with the Chinese government, performed on Broadway, and won competitions
in art, music, diving, and Ultimate Frisbee.
“We are very
excited about the incoming class of 2009,” said Joanne V. Creighton,
president of Mount Holyoke. “These new students embody everything
we prize in Mount Holyoke women—academic success, drive, creativity,
and a desire to make a difference as leaders in the world. The campus
community welcomes the newest generation of Mount Holyoke women through
our gates.”
These incoming students
are passionate about learning and committed to connecting with the global
community. They were chosen from the
second-highest applicant pool in Mount Holyoke’s history. Since 1996,
the College has seen a 44 percent increase in applications; this year there
were 2,924. Among the pool were 252 Early Decision applicants.
The new students hail
from all over the country. Thirty percent are from New England, 19 percent
are from the Middle Atlantic region, 18 percent are from the West, 11
percent are from the South, and
6 percent are from the central part of the country. They come from 422 high
schools; 57 percent public, 29 percent private, and 13 percent parochial.
Also joining the student
body this fall are 45 Frances Perkins Scholars, or women of nontraditional
age, and 25 transfer students from other colleges.
Meet a few
of the New Faces of MHC
Crystal Allen ’07
Fallon, Nevada
|
Cyrstal
Allen ’07 |
Crystal Allen ’07
has dedicated herself to improving the quality of life for members of
her tribe, the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone, in Nevada. From tutoring younger
children and teaching child abuse awareness to doing cancer research
at the water treatment plant and establishing a recycling program, she’s
hoping to bring a higher level of education and awareness to the tribe,
which has a 57 percent dropout rate among high school students. “The
education level isn’t very high here, so I figured I’d go
and get educated, then come back and help, ” she said.
After studying biology
at a community college, Allen comes to Mount Holyoke as a transfer student,
with plans to study political science and psychology and ultimately
work in public relations in the health and science field. “I like
dealing with people, and I think a lot more can get done that way.” She
has seen relations between the tribe and the surrounding county improve
after her tribe started a child abuse awareness program for the local
school system, funded by the U.S. government. “A lot of kids don’t
know what child abuse is. Their parents don’t tell them. The tradition
among the tribe has been to keep it quiet.” By including nonreservation
children in the program as well, tribal relations with the county have
improved.
But despite all the
hardships, Allen revels in the small successes, like the fourth grader
she tutored in math who finally improved. “Just a little help
and encouragement, and the sky ’s the limit.”
Isabelle Castillo ’09
Miami, Florida
|
Isabelle
Castillo ’09 |
As a young girl, Isabelle
Castillo ’09 would listen to her grandfather playing the classical
guitar, and occasionally she would pick it up and strum it. When she
was nine, her grandfather asked if she wanted to learn, and she’s
been playing ever since. Her grandfather served not just as a teacher
but was also a mentor, helping Castillo in all facets of life. She has
performed at her school as well as at Spanish and French cultural centers
in Miami and is practicing some pieces to try out at Mount Holyoke.
But Castillo doesn’t
always let her fingers do the talking. She is also an accomplished debater.
Her junior year, she was an octofinalist at a Wake Forest University
national debate tournament. “It’s one of my passions. I’ve
learned about everything from mental health care to ocean policy. It
sparked a passion for learning and research,” said Castillo. Her
favorite subject to debate was the law of the sea, which gave her an
introduction to the international legal arena. Castillo is thinking
about going into law someday and is planning on majoring in psychology
at Mount Holyoke.
Samantha Goldman ’09
Philadelphia, PA
|
Samantha
Goldman ’09 |
Political activism,
community service, and the arts have been defining activities for Samantha
Goldman ’09, who sought to fill the need for all three at her
high school. “To be the driving force behind something, to truly
make something happen not just because you want it to, but because the
community needs it to, is just incredible,” Goldman said. Whether
it was editing the school’s literary magazine, initiating a community
service program, or orchestrating a trip to see a Broadway play, Goldman
made things happen—and then some. Before the school’s trip
to see Rent, students were invited to submit original compositions based
on themes in the play to be judged by the staff. Goldman’s piece,
titled “Non Gender Specific,” won the contest, and she had
the honor of performing her monologue on Broadway before the show. But
she is most proud of her political endeavors, which have included working
with refugees, joining the March for Women’s Lives, and founding
a student youth action group. “Political work has really changed
the way I think and made me who I am, ”she said.
Goldman is planning
to major in environmental studies at Mount Holyoke, and while she’s
not under any illusions about being able to continue all of her activities
at MHC, she has no intention of relaxing. She’d like to continue
practicing dance and working with a gay/straight alliance. And she’s
excited to be in a place she said is “nothing like what I experience
now.”
Lauren Griffin ’09
Homewood, Illinois
|
Lauren
Griffin ’09 |
For Illinois state
diving finalist Lauren Griffin ’09, the prospect of having two-time
Olympic medalist Mary Ellen Clark as a diving coach was exciting. Griffin
knew she wanted to dive in college, and she was also looking for a school
that would afford her enough time to focus on her studies. “When
I learned about Mary Ellen, I was excited about the possibility of working
with her,” Griffin said. “I’ll get the attention I
need in diving to be successful and as competitive as I want to be.
I can’t wait to train with her and see how far my future will
go in diving.” In high school, Griffin was a state qualifier three
times, and last year she placed eleventh in the state. Her father taught
her how to dive when she was eight, and she has always loved the entertainment
aspect of the sport. “Diving is a mix of a lot of things: guts,
power, and grace, which are traits I have acquired over the years,” Griffin
said. But in a sport where results are determined by subjectivity, it’s
not always easy. “I know that it is just part of the nature of
the sport. Dealing with certain situations in diving only drives me
to work harder to do better, grow as an individual, and to come out
on top.” Griffin, who would like to work in physical therapy or
sports medicine, said Mount Holyoke will give her the ideal combination
of personal attention in sports and academics.
Clarity Guerra ’09
Los Angeles, California
|
Clarity
Guerra ’09 |
In the summer of 2004,
Clarity Guerra ’09 spent two-and-a-half weeks on the beautiful
island of St. John in the Virgin Islands. But instead of vacationing
on sunny beaches and white sand, Guerra was trekking through jungles
and crawling under thick brush in order to observe an arboreal species
of termite and the effects of a parasite on the insect’s behavior. “At
first I was like, termites? But I really got into it,” said Guerra. “We
were studying an incredible cycle.”
Guerra was chosen
to participate in an Earthwatch expedition through a Student Challenge
Awards Program (SCAP) scholarship. The experience ignited her fascination
with “anything to do with research,” and she found that
she loved being in the field. She plans on studying environmental science
at Mount Holyoke and is particularly interested in how to reduce human
impact in places that are most precious to us.
While Guerra loved
her Earthwatch experience, the achievement that has meant the most to
her was being senior class president of the Zoo Magnet Center at North
Hollywood High School. “It’s not glamorous, but we did a
lot of things.” She helped orchestrate the first-ever Zoo Magnet
art show for students, which she hopes future classes will continue.
So does she see more
termites in her future? “I wouldn’t mind it. As long as
I have a bandana to keep them out of my hair.”
Natash Gutierrez ’09
Garnerville, New York
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Natasha
Gutierrez ’09 |
Natasha Gutierrez ’09
became interested in science in seventh grade, when a new teacher began
talking about genetics, cells, and DNA. By the time she was in eighth
grade, she was routinely seeking out the Tuesday New York Times for
its science section. “I was all into science. I knew I wanted
to pursue that,” said Gutierrez, who wants to be a geneticist.
She got her first
taste of scientific research in high school after being accepted by
I-LEAD, Institute for Leadership, Excellence, and Academic Development.
For three weeks one summer at Brown University, she studied microbes
as infectious agents. “I really got into the firsthand college
experience,” said Gutierrez, who loved lab, even skipping dinner
and working until 8 pm in order to “get it right.” Gutierrez
also traveled to Australia as part of the I-LEAD program, where her
group helped build a house for Habitat for Humanity. “By the time
we left, we actually had the frames up. It looked like a house. It was
awesome.”
Mount Holyoke’s
science facilities were a big reason Gutierrez chose the school. “When
I saw the lab, I was in love,” she said. So will she be taking
lots of science courses this fall? “My whole outlook on college
is to try something new.” So in addition to a class in biology,
she’ll be taking a music department course on Beethoven symphonies.
Elise Hale-Case ’09
Seattle, Washington
|
Elise
Hale-Case ’09 |
Even though Elise
Hale-Case ’09 still comes across people who don’t know what
Ultimate is, the football-like game played with a flying disc is a serious
sport in Seattle, where she lives. Case in point: her high school had
a varsity Ultimate team, but no football team. Hale-Case started playing
Ultimate in sixth grade, and in 2004 she was one of 16 women in the
country chosen for the junior women’s USA team. Her high school
team often reached the finals, and she has played on several club teams,
winning a national tournament with a Seattle junior women’s team. “I
like the emphasis on sportsmanship,” Hale-Case said of the game. “It
has a competitive edge, but you’re also allowed to shake hands
with an opponent after they make a good play. It doesn’t get too
heated.” Hale-Case hopes to play Ultimate on a local team or start
one at Mount Holyoke. She’s also excited to get involved with
other outdoor programs at the school. In high school, she participated
in a series of backpacking trips with a YMCA camp in Minnesota, culminating
in a 40-day trek in Alaska last summer. “It was more mentally
challenging than physically challenging—knowing at 20 days out
that you still have 20 to go. But it was gorgeous, and I’d do
it again in a heartbeat.”
Ru’Ya
Norton ’09
Seward, Alaska
|
Ru'Ya
Norton ’09 |
Coming to school in
New England might normally be an adjustment for someone from Alaska.
But for Ru’Ya Norton ’09, who lives in Seward, the adjustment
will be nothing compared to her move to Alaska at age ten from Yap,
an island in Micronesia where she grew up. In Yap, daily life consisted
of school (at home) and playing in the jungle. “Living outside
of the U.S. really gives you a different perspective on the world. I’m
sure it has made me a lot more accepting of other cultures and people,” said
Norton, who chose Mount Holyoke in part for its diverse student body.
Moving to Alaska was
a complete shock, both in culture and climate. Her family moved to the
small town of McGrath and then to Seward, the first place she was able
to do things like play soccer and join a choir—singing had always
been a passion. When budget cuts at her school discontinued music classes,
she got help making audition tapes and went on to be the only representative
from Seward in the All-State Honor Choir. Rehearsals were often several
hours away, and Norton had to get funding from the booster club for
hotel stays.
Norton hopes to join
the Peace Corps after college, an interest that started in Yap. “So
many of our friends were Peace Corps volunteers. They were such caring
and kind people and inspired me to do that when I was older.”
While Norton hasn’t
yet returned to Yap, she hopes to study abroad somewhere in the Pacific
while at Mount Holyoke—with a stop at her former home along the
way.
Piper O’Sullivan ’09
Providence, Rhode Island
|
Piper
O'Sullivan ’09 |
When Piper O’Sullivan ’09
was a little girl, she fell in love with a picture book of India and
said to herself, “I have to go there.” She never thought
she would get her wish so soon, but through the open curriculum at her
high school, the Metropolitan Regional and Technical Center in Providence,
she has traveled not only to India—twice—but also to Russia,
and she will be returning to India again this January. “I loved
reading about Hinduism and the mythology and social issues in India.
It’s the complete antithesis of how we live. I knew it was the
first place I wanted to go.” With some basic Hindi under her belt
from classes at Brown University, O’Sullivan signed up with the
volunteer agency Cross-Cultural Solutions and in 2004 spent a month
in New Delhi, where she worked at Mother Teresa’s Home for the
Dying and Destitute. “It was intense. But it was really good.
It’s not something you’d ever experience if you were a tourist,” said
O’Sullivan, who is going to study studio art at Mount Holyoke.
She turned several photographs of her patients in India into a series
of charcoal drawings that was displayed at several local schools and
universities. In January, O’Sullivan returned to India on her
own and taught at a school for young boys and worked on her photography.
While working as a
student intern in the Slavic department at Brown, O’Sullivan took
Russian for two years, which she put to use in her six-week trip to
a small town outside of Moscow, where she worked at a nursing home for
abandoned elderly.
Where else would she
love to travel? “I really want to go to Iran to study Persian.
I’m really visual, and I love learning different alphabets.”
Ningmei Zhuang ’09
Chengdu, China
|
Ningmei
Zhuang ’09 |
Ningmei Zhuang ’09
is serious about fighting pollution in China. In high school, she was
the leader of a group called Greens, which she and several other students
formed to increase awareness about the environment. The group began
collecting used batteries, leaving boxes in shops, parks, and schools.
But Zhuang didn’t stop there. Since large numbers of batteries
are used to start natural gas water heaters in China, she began looking
for a cleaner alternative and started experimenting with hydropower.
She finally created a hydroelectric device that managed to strike fire,
and she secured a patent for her invention from the Chinese government. “The
patent I’ve gained greatly encourages me to explore new things
myself,” she said.
The Greens group also
took the initiative during China’s SARS outbreak to sterilize
public spaces at their school and educate
fellow students on the disease and prevention measures. Not a single student
was infected during the outbreak.
With a strong foundation
in accounting from classes at Sichuan University in China, Zhuang plans
to study economics at Mount Holyoke.
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