I was drawn to chemistry, way back when, when I was in College because it helped explain
how the world worked. When you understand that everything has a molecular basis and
everything that we see comes from how those molecules interact, it really does explain
the universe.
I came to Wooster because of its reputation, frankly. It is one of the top 10 schools in
undergraduate chemistry education. It’s number two in the nation for the number of
people who have gone on to get a Ph.D. in chemistry from a four-year college. So nationwide,
it’s known as very strong in sciences and very strong in chemistry.
I think what sets Wooster apart from a lot of others schools is not its size, not its
shape, but really what it does. And one of the things that is really great about the
College of Wooster is that there is an equal opportunity for all students. All students
get to do research here, all students get in the lab, there’s no teacher?s pets, and
so there’s a esprit de corps that exist between the students who want to learn, who
love to learn, and want to make a difference in the world, and learn and add knowledge
to the chemical sciences.
What’s a Wooster student like? One thing, I think they’re just good people. Wooster
students are polite and caring for each other. They’re smart, and one thing you never see
is that, although they’re really really ambitious and motivated and want to do great
things, they don’t do that at the expense of others. They work together and not by themselves.
It’s a really great program. If I was a student looking at the College of Wooster,
on one hand I’d be intimidated because you have to do this really in-depth project, but
what you’re going to find out is that it’s not that at all. Instead it’s a very collaborative
experience between you and a faculty member, and even other students. And what you gain
from it is confidence. That you’re going to be able to go on to the next level. For
instance, if it’s in chemistry and you go on and work in a lab you’re going to have
that experience, you’re going to have that confidence. If you’re going to go on to
graduate school, you’ve already done things you will be doing in graduate school. And
that’s why Wooster students are so successful beyond graduation, because they get that confidence,
they get that knowledge, and they get that experience.
