John Gursky ’07, Baldwinsville, NY, can tell
that the faculty and staff care about students.
“St.
Lawrence was the only University where students sent me handwritten
letters answering any questions I had,” he says. “This is one
major reason why I enrolled.”
John
wanted to provide the same sort of encouragement to prospective students
that he had received. On the first day of his first year, he began
working as an admissions tour
guide; today, he is an Admissions Management Assistant.
John is president of the Class of 2007, and chair
of academic affairs for the student
government association.
John’s combined
major is French and Canadian
Studies with an education
minor; St. Lawrence and he fit well together because of St. Lawrence’s
close proximity to Canada. “I go to Ottawa frequently
to listen to the Question and Answer Period in the Canadian Parliament,” he
says.
In spring 2005, John was able to enjoy both of his majors at
once by participating in a St. Lawrence international study program
that placed him in three very different francophone cultures: Quebec
City, France, and Senegal. “It
was incredible,” he says. “My French skills improved
so much, and I had exposure to three different dialects.”
“I
came to campus never thinking I would develop such an interest in things
like Senegalese culture and politics, underdevelopment, poverty, and
the global economy,” he says. “I never imagined that I
would ever have the chance to live in a Third World country before
I was 20 years old. I want to go back and learn more. That's
what the liberal arts experience is all about.”
