Wesley S. Varughese '16

When I elected to attend Lawrence, my parents were weary, as was I. Here was a liberal arts school in the Midwest with a population of 1,500 or so students in a small town – it seemed like I was going backwards when we thought of a sizeable, diverse community. As a family, we also were still trying to understand the concept of liberal arts – everyone else around was talking about the state universities they were enrolling in the Fall. I attended a high school in the Chicago suburbs with more than 4,000 students. The saying holds true, we were all little fish in a big pond. Growing up we had family weddings that were larger than Lawrence’s population. At that time in my life, I didn’t realize that community was more than just a number or the name it represented; it was culture, values, lifestyle, and so much more. In high school, I was a straight-A student that participated in a fair share of clubs and activities. I come from an Indian-American family as a first-generation college student – expectations were high. Doctor, lawyer, etc was the proposed end goal, and academics were a priority above it all. At Lawrence, the expectation was to maintain the same. That didn’t happen. Besides the introductory biology course (pre-med track at the time) and Freshman Studies, I was unsure of what course to take as my third for that first Fall term on campus. Finally, I came upon an introductory course in International Relations. The large appeal was that this course was co-taught Professors Skran, Brozek, and former Senator Russ Feingold. Everything changed after that course – change of majors (International Relations/Spanish), new advisor, and study abroad opportunities (without exaggeration, I can confidently say I traveled to at least 10 countries with just Professor Skran over the course of 4 years). I didn’t even admit to my family I was no longer on the pre-med track until my junior year; I was asking for a signature from my father to attend a 3-week trip to Sierra Leone and Guinea for a research and volunteer trip with the Government Department. This pivot changed my dynamic of what the university experience was supposed to be. Here I was, participating in the traveling classroom, getting real-life, tangible experiences to take with me to the world post-graduation. I studied abroad for a semester in Spain as well, which was well and good, but that almost didn’t compare to the practicum courses, volunteer experiences and research projects I had abroad with Lawrence faculty and students. I developed a relationship with a professor that went beyond my course work, a mentor to this day. I was still taking my classes and taking care of my exams and homework, but this shift of priorities gave me a multi-varied approach on how I saw my education. I was surrounded by so many brilliant students on these trips that I felt intimidated at times, but I learned so much from them as well. I developed social intelligence, confidence in public speaking, how to navigate difficult situations in new cultures and third-world countries, to name just a few. The beauty of it all: doing it together with fellow students who were just as afraid as me, but ecstatic at the same time to take on these new experiences. Back on campus, I learned how to balance LUCC committee meetings after class, nights working at the VR, and practicing group presentations. I came back from these trips with more anecdotal stories to share in other classes and in day-today life. There was a well-roundedness I gained that I don’t think I would have gotten elsewhere. It brought me to the point to eventually live abroad as a business professional – now full-time in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. I didn’t graduate with honors or anything, but the experiences I garnered both on and off campus are a part of the badge of honor I carry today. I came out of Lawrence more humble, more open-minded, and most of all, more willing to try anything put in front of me. You won’t know until you’ve tried – Lawrence taught me that.