Laura Clarke ’07 says St. Lawrence has been all about
excellence in both academics and athletics. Laura, an anthropology and African
studies major from Ottawa, Ont., and Trinity College School
in Port Hope, Ont., came to St. Lawrence to play hockey;
instead, she segued her passion for competitive sports
into running. She is a member of the women’s
cross country and track and field teams. “This is undoubtedly
the most meaningful activity I do at SLU,” she says. “I
love running, competing and being part of a close-knit
team.”
Under St.
Lawrence’s international study program, Laura spent a
semester in Kenya in spring 2006. “It was one of the
best decisions of my life,” she says. “I learned so
much about Kenyan culture and living abroad in a completely different
part of the world. I can’t stress enough how amazing
the opportunity to study abroad is. Everyone should do it.”
Laura’s most rewarding academic experience at St. Lawrence,
in addition to the Kenya semester, has been Kiswahili classes
offered on campus through the modern
languages and literatures department. “I was able to gain
a solid grasp of the language because the classes were small,” she
says. “There were only four other students in my intermediate
class and the dedication of the professor and the teaching
assistants—students who had taken the course before--was admirable.”
Laura was affected by her experience in Kenya so much that she is thinking
about going back to Kenya after graduating from St. Lawrence, to find
work or volunteer there. Eventually, she plans on earning a Ph.D. in
archaeology and working in Africa.
