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When I arrived on campus in the fall of 2018, I was fresh off a gap year and still not entirely sure what I wanted to study. Little did I know, a Lil Peep song would change everything.
At first glance, an art and art history major and a geology minor may not seem like the most obvious combination. For Michael Yirenkyi ’22, they’re a perfect match. In his geology classes, he learned how to ask critical questions. In art and art history, he imagined creative answers. Four years of exploring, creating, and embracing new perspectives lead him to his greatest passion yet–architecture.
In the middle of Congo Square, Malik Bartholomew, our tour guide, said, “I would like you all to close your eyes in honor of the resilience and musicality of enslaved Africans on American soil.” Standing in the heart of Louis Armstrong Park, located in New Orleans, I felt that this was a sacred place.
While studying abroad in Copenhagen, Hayden '22 put his econ & global studies double major to the test during the Arctic Opportunity Explorers Challenge. Working with students from across the globe, he devised solutions to real-world problems in the Arctic.
I cannot make up my mind, which, to be honest, is why I am a triple major with a minor. Sounds crazy, I know, but at St. Lawrence, it makes sense somehow. Here’s why.
I’ve played lacrosse since I was six years old, and during my first three years at St. Lawrence University, I was an enthusiastic member of the women’s lacrosse team. Competing with a collection of fierce, skilled, and dedicated female athletes has been one of the best experiences of my life. However, my senior year, I made a decision that would shock even myself. I quit.
At times, I feel I am a ship at sea navigating a tricky coastline. Every assignment I complete is a jagged rock narrowly avoided. Each essay a tumultuous wave forcing a change of direction. With so many obstacles, it seems unavoidable that I would eventually be overwhelmed.
“Talk to everyone. Try everything. Take advantage of every unique opportunity the school offers.”
When people ask me what I did last summer, I always like to start the conversation with “Well, I was a part-time organ farmer.” While this may sound a little strange, it accurately sums up the research that I was able to do—largely because of St. Lawrence’s Internship Fellowship Program.
Pro tip: if you ever sign up for an Environmental Studies course titled “Practicum,” don’t wear you cool new “first-day-of-school” shoes to the very first session. I learned that lesson this semester when I registered for a class that revolves around helping to build an energy-efficient greenhouse at St. Lawrence’s Living Lab.