Liz Boyd ’08 learned from her father, St. Lawrence alumnus Robert Boyd ’79, that college is the bridge between childhood and adulthood, and she thought St. Lawrence would be the perfect bridge.

When she visited during the summer of 2003, Liz, who is from Baltimore, MD, and Bel Air High School, was pleasantly taken aback.  “I really liked the size, atmosphere, and lovely rural setting,” she recalls. “After having a tour and talking with my tour guide, I realized there are really intelligent people here who are involved and active.”

Liz has become one of those involved and active students. She is a member and secretary of the Thelomathesian Society, St. Lawrence’s student government body. Working in “Thelmo,” she says, “I have learned people can hold intelligent discussions and discuss and handle problems in a mature way.”

Liz is a Presidential Diversity Scholar mentor, working with students from different backgrounds, keep in touch with them, helping them branch out and follow through on their interests and goals.  “It’s rewarding when you see someone pursue and achieve goals and know that you helped with that,” she says. 

Liz, who is a government and economics double major, is a research assistant for Professor of Government Calvin “Fred” Exoo, who is working on politics in the media, focusing on September 11, 2001, and Iraq.  “I wanted to do something different, and this allowed me to help him out as well as learn something from it,” she says.  “I get to participate in the research and writing process, which is exciting.”

In spring 2007, Liz will be heading across the Pacific Ocean to spend the semester on St. Lawrence’s program in China, where she will conduct her own research. “I'm interested in studying outsourcing, how American corporations get over there,” she says. “I also want to see how the government interacts with multi-national corporations, and how a communist country can be so successful with a capitalist economy.”