By Miki Canak in College Days, Feature Story on November 5, 2024
Alumni Share Their Journeys and Tips for Today’s Students
Students navigating through their journeys at Ripon College tackle various obstacles during their academic, athletic and extracurricular endeavors. According to graduates who have successfully transitioned into the professional world, there are several ways for current students to overcome these hurdles.
Several alumni shared their experiences and explained how to take advantage of opportunities provided at Ripon College.
Junior, Miki Canak, interviews Alumnus, Andrew Peck. Photo Courtesy of Ric Damm.
Andrew Peck ‘10 Psychology said, “The professors that you work with, and the advisors that you have become not only partners in your development, but lifelong friends.”
While attending Ripon College, Peck said that he encountered and overcame financial difficulties.
“Working with the financial aid office and finding on-campus jobs really helped,” he said.
Peck was a residence advisor, a research assistant for the Department of Psychology, and a student ambassador for the admissions office. He participated in cross country, track and field, wind ensemble, orchestra, collegium musicum, choir, choral union, and a barbershop quartet.
His advice to current students is to attend class, explore opportunities, and stay involved.
Gene Schneider ‘90 Mathematics and Computer Science worked with his professors to create and be the first Ripon College student to graduate with a computer science major.
Schneider said that attending a liberal arts institution was beneficial for achieving academic success. “It creates well-rounded people that can function no matter what situation or environment you are in. It allows you to think and work your way through any problems that you may encounter.”
“David Scott was my academic advisor, and he was a huge contributor to my ability to graduate with a double major,” he said.
Schneider was a player for Ripon College’s basketball team and a member of the service organization Circle K.
His advice to current Ripon College students: “Build your network, maintain your network, grow your network, Throughout the course of your life, no matter what you do, most job opportunities that you are going to receive will come through your network.”
“Take all the relationships that you make with professors, students, the administration, and community members, and continue to maintain those relationships as you go through your life,” he said.
Stephanie Rheingruber ‘12 Pre-Medicine was a member of the Kappa Delta sorority, wind ensemble, and orchestra. She played the snare drum and the flute.
“Receiving a music scholarship From Ripon College, and being a part of the orchestra and wind ensemble was an opportunity which I would not have had in other universities,” she said.
Rheingruber said that being a student at Ripon College allowed for flexibility in her schedule, as she was also a peer mentor and the director of the Biology Honors Society.
“Attend lots of interviews, get that experience of meeting different people, and explore different job opportunities. Rather than having your heart set on only one specific goal, leave a little bit of room to explore,” she said.
Ariana Myers ‘14 History, Spanish, Classical Languages (Self Designed Major) said that the quality of instruction and mentorship that she received at Ripon College was “second to none.”
Her most memorable course at Ripon College was Professor Diane Mockridge’s Nonconformity and Deviants in Medieval and Early Modern Europe.
“We studied Heresy and learned about the Inquisition. It was fascinating,” she said.
Myers participated in theater at Ripon College.
“It was a chance to be dramatic, be weird, have fun, and really work as a team,” she said.
Myers said that it was difficult for her to adjust to the social environment at Ripon College when she first arrived.
“If you are encountering social difficulties on campus, try sitting with someone who is having lunch alone, and ask if you can sit there. Strike up a conversation, and see what happens. You might end up meeting your best friend,” she said.
Peck, Schneider, Rheingruber, and Myers each had a variety of experiences at Ripon College, as do many current students. Their advice includes attending classes, exploring different academic and professional opportunities, building and maintaining your network, attending interviews, and meeting new people. These habits will benefit a broad range of students at Ripon College who are overcoming social and academic obstacles or planning for their future.