Ian Talks About Union College

When Ian first visited Union, an independent liberal arts college founded in 1795, he said he felt like he belonged there. Perhaps one of the reasons is the multitude of organizations Union offers its students. No stranger to intense involvement in a variety of activities, Ian is trying to start a musical theatre program; is active in DDD, a multifaith council comprising dinner, devotion and discussion; is involved with the "Concordy", the college newspaper; is a member of the Dining Services Committee and was invited to join "Safe Space", an organization working to help sexual assault victims. Do you wonder how he has time for his courses in cultural anthropology, religion and philosophy?

When asked about living accommodations on campus, Ian mentioned an interesting system fairly recently started at Union called Minerva Houses. "Seven Houses make up THE MINERVAS, which were created in September, 2004 to broaden the educational experience for students outside the classroom. Every incoming student is randomly assigned to one of the Minerva Houses and joins upperclass students, faculty and staff in a house affiliation. Each Minerva has its own governing council, which is led by a faculty and student representative." Ian described the system as "like a mix between fraternity houses, homerooms, and Field Day." He says the "kids are very open and accepting" and the college offers "hundreds of groups" and many opportunities to freely explore ideas.

The hardest part about transitioning to college, according to Ian, is leaving your friends behind, but he believes strongly in getting involved right away and not being afraid of being open to the ideas of other students.

Ian graduated from the 8th grade at Craig in 2002 and earned a diploma from Morris Catholic High School in 2006.