Heather Palmer ’16 is majoring in Psychology and Biology, and she transferred to Grove City in the fall of 2013.
1. What college did you transfer from and why?
I transferred to GCC from Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester, NY. RWC didn’t meet my academic, social, or religious expectations, so I began looking for a school with high standards
2. How did you find Grove City?
I asked around and found that a few of my friends from high school were at GCC and loved it. I came to visit them and asked a lot of questions about Grove. They knew the kind of high academic standards with which we were accustomed, and they were able to compare it to our high school and answer my questions. They took me to Beans on Broad, showed me the labs in Rockwell (STEM was not yet open), and let me stay in a room in MAP North.
3. What made you eventually decide to transfer to Grove City?
The residence halls, the cafeterias, the beauty of the campus was unbelievable. I had been longing for a school with strong community where the students wanted to get the most out of their education and their years at this institution.
4. What made you stay?
At GCC, I smiled at the thought of going to class. I learned something every day; the professors are brilliant and insightful and care about the academic and personal lives of their students. I realized this was what I had been missing. I often stop and look around, and I have to thank God for bringing me to such a wonderful school.
5. What ways did Grove City offer to help you get assimilated when you first came?
Orientation Board helped a lot, I depended on my roommates a lot to fill me in (Laura and Bex weren’t transfers). The fall transfers of 2013 bonded rather well, likely because the males were housed on the same hall in Hicks. We made a family, and we still have dinner and celebrate holidays together. Many other students don’t understand the transfers’ common experiences. We have found that it takes a certain type of person to have the strength to change schools, and we have a lot in common.
6. How will this experience influence your future after you graduate?
My closest friends, the ones I know will remain in my life for years to come, transferred into Grove City College. We have a special bond, and I have a special place in my heart for those who took the road less traveled in order to get here.
