Annie Mercado | Lawrence University

Your favorite...

Professor
Class
Food at Andrew Commons
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Thing about campus
Study spot
LU memory

My private voice professor, John Gates, has been my biggest source of encouragement these past three years. He's given me so much to work with in my voice and in any performances. It's special that we get to work together for all four years of my degree—he notices my growth and pushes me to go further. My favorite thing about John is his honesty.

My favorite class here so far has been Reading the Border: Gender, Texts and Performance with Professor Thelma Jiménez-Anglada. We read a lot of biographies of immigrants and their experiences of crossing the Mexico-United States border. Learning more about border culture and policy was special to me as a Mexican-American woman.

I love the lemon bars for dessert!

My favorite place on campus is the hill above the garden. I love this spot because it's perfect during any season—for sledding in the winter, doing homework in the fall and for laying out and getting some sun in the spring.

My favorite thing about campus is the community. I'm thankful for how responsive we are as a student body to problems that impact one another.

The quiet spots of Warch campus center.

My favorite LU memory so far has been performing John Gay's The Beggar’s Opera my sophomore year at the PAC.

What are you studying? Why are you studying this? Annie Mercado
I'm studying vocal performance and Spanish. Singing makes me happy! I've wanted to be a professional opera singer since I was 11 years old so it sometimes feels like a dream that I'm here- putting most of my time into learning how to perform beautifully and honestly. I study Spanish to engage with and learn more about Spanish speaking communities outside of the one I grew up in.

Outside of being a student at Lawrence what do you like to do? Hobbies?
Outside of my student life, I love getting to know the Appleton community with my sorority sisters when we volunteer together.

How have you benefited from donors while you are at LU?
I've received scholarships the past three years from three different alumni who gave in honor of their class reunions. It's because of donations like these that I can take advantage of special experiences like the D-term trip to Buenos Aires this December!

What does being a Lawrentian mean to you?
Being a Lawrentian means that I have a lot more questions than answers for just about everything! I've learned that this is a good thing. Being a Lawrentian has allowed me to take responsibility for my place in the world, whatever that may be.

What are your plans for after Lawrence?
I'd like to keep studying opera and voice performance in Grad school. Who knows!

What clubs are you involved in at Lawrence?
I'm the co-chair of the LUCC Athletic-conservatory engagement committee and a member of Kappa Alpha Theta.

What has been your experience as part of the Conservatory of Music?
My experience has been rewarding to say the least. My favorite part has been meeting and spending time with my best friends who are also studying music in the con. The relationships I've made with other students and professors makes everything else in my education possible and very special.