Author: Gretchen Blizzard

I am a sophomore Marketing major at Grove City College, and on campus I am involved with the Women's Club Lacrosse Team, and the New Life Ministry group.
Posted on by — Leave a comment

CliftonStrengths Assessment Project | Part 4 with Jake Dobransky

Jake Dobransky

This year, Grove City College had several students take the CliftonStrengths assessment for free as part of a grant the college was awarded in order to foster a deeper exploration of calling and vocation for the students. The program development grant is from the Council of Independent Colleges, specifically their Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education. This assessment endeavors to provide students with a common language of talents and strengths and attempts to promote a culture where students thrive both inside the classroom here at Grove City College, and in the outside world. One of those students that took the CliftonStrengths Assessment is junior Jake Dobransky, who is pursuing a Business Economics major.

I asked Jake how the CliftonStrengths Assessment has helped to shape his understanding of calling and vocation, and he said, “The CliftonStrengths Assessment has helped me see that whatever future God has for me, He has wired me with strengths and gifts to prepare me for my future roles.” I also asked Jake about how learning his results has helped him in his academics and he said that the assessment has not really influenced his academic work. Although he did say it gave him a greater understanding of who he is, but he is still the same student as he was before.

I discussed with Jake how learning, and now knowing his results, has helped him in different leadership roles he may experience. He said, “The assessment gave me clear insight that my strengths don’t center in influencing others. If I want to inspire or change a group of people’s minds, it may be best for me to connect with an individual with influence and have them encourage others with their help.” I also asked him how learning his results has helped him in relationships with others, both on and off-campus, he said, “With my greater awareness of my sense of responsibility, I try to be more patient with those around me who like to waste time.  It is right and natural to be balanced, and that means having fun is good once in a while.” Jake said learning his different strengths and talents through this assessment has helped him to be a better Residents Assistant (RA) to those he serves. He said both in understanding why he values his work and how he can better engage with his residents.

Jake said he has not noticed any significant changes in his daily life, but he realizes now he is more self-aware. He said when working with others he is more patient and tries to selectively choose his words in order to achieve the best end result in any given situation. Jake said the best takeaway from this assessment was, “I am not an influencer by nature and must rely on facts and reason to convince others.  I have adjusted my efforts in how I try to relate with those around me.”

Jake plans to start a career where he can utilize the economics he is learning here at Grove City College and pair it alongside his love for data analytics when he graduates. Here on campus Jake is a member of the Beta Sigma fraternity, a Residents Assistant (RA) in Lincoln, a member of the Men’s Club Volleyball Team, a member of the Crimson and White Society, and a Member of Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK).

Posted on by — Leave a comment

CliftonStrengths Assessment Project | Part 3 with Garrett O’Toole

Garrett O’Toole

This year, Grove City College had several students take the CliftonStrengths assessment for free as part of a grant the college was awarded in order to foster a deeper exploration of calling and vocation for the students. The program development grant is from the Council of Independent Colleges, specifically their Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education. This assessment endeavors to provide students with a common language of talents and strengths and attempts to promote a culture where students thrive both inside the classroom here at Grove City College, and in the outside world. One of those students that took the CliftonStrengths Assessment is senior Garrett O’Toole who is pursuing a Communications Studies major.

I asked Garrett how the CliftonStrengths assessment has shaped his understanding of calling and vocation, and he said, “It has really helped me learn about how I’m wired, and where my natural gifts are found. It’s essentially a more in-depth Myers-Briggs test, which allows participants to understand themselves more, which helps greatly in terms of determining one’s calling and vocation. Its results are a great resource to learn the language behind these strengths and apply them to potential job or internship positions.” I also talked to Garrett about how learning his results has helped him in his academics and he said his results have helped him to more clearly define his study habits, and to put a theory behind why he does things in terms of schoolwork. He said, “I mainly understand why I study the way I do, which is helpful to me because it’s something I can point to while I’m studying and questioning why I am doing it.”

I also asked Garrett how learning his results have helped him in different leadership positions. He said this is one of the areas where knowing his results helped him the most. He said, “From the insights that StrengthsFinder gave me based on my results, I’ve actually applied some of the things the assessment said to my leadership style. It clicked with me that I lead others the way I do based on my strength results and putting some language behind it has slightly changed the way I lead to more effectively accomplish things and to empower others while using their strengths.” I also talked to Garrett about how his results have impacted relationships with others both on and off campus, and he said that one of his strengths is communication, so he can also put theory behind why the way he communicates has helped him to gain a better understanding on how to navigate through certain social situations. He also said, “It has also helped me to communicate in a more uplifting way now that I’m more aware of it, not that I didn’t before, but just being more cognizant of my own habits has been beneficial.”

Garrett works in the Advancement Office on campus, so he said having his strengths results has helped him to focus his work on things that pair well with his results. He said, “As a result, knowing where my skills are, I take on assignments that I know I can do really well, along with producing high-quality work that the office can use for their constituents.” Garrett said this has been a beneficial way he has utilized his results outside of the classroom. I asked Garrett if he has noticed any significant changes in his life since learning his results from the assessment. He said, “In terms of ‘significant changes’, I wouldn’t say so, but I can definitely attest to a significant awareness that was raised based on my results.” Garrett said the best takeaway he gained from this assessment was how the StrengthsFinder uses a theory that focuses more on your strengths, rather thank your weaknesses. He said, “This in turn allows participants to focus on things like vocational calling, which is definitely different when compared to more general tests like an MBTI exam.”

Garrett plans to do anything in terms of business, marketing or higher education when he leaves Grove City College, and here on campus he is involved with the Student Government Association (SGA), a member of the Adelphoi En Christo (AEX) Housing Group, a Residents Assistant (RA), and he is a Center for Vision and Values Student Fellow.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

CliftonStrengths Assessment Project | Part 2 with Kristen Bishop

Kristen Bishop

This year, Grove City College had several students take the CliftonStrengths assessment for free as part of a grant the college was awarded in order to foster a deeper exploration of calling and vocation for the students. The program development grant is from the Council of Independent Colleges, specifically their Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education. This assessment endeavors to provide students with a common language of talents and strengths and attempts to promote a culture where students thrive both inside the classroom here at Grove City College, and in the outside world. One of those students that took the CliftonStrengths Assessment is senior Kristen Bishop, who is pursuing a Communications Studies major, with a Biblical and Religious Studies minor. Kristen’s top five strengths from the assessment include: communication, activator, ideation, woo, and strategic.

I asked Kristen how the CliftonStrengths assessment has shaped her understanding of calling and vocation, and she said, “It has helped me understand gifts that I have been given and how to embrace them and use them well. Instead of trying to fit a mold I now understand I should look for a job that I am already gifted at so that I can help a company, organization, or non-profit do well and grow.” I also asked Kristen how learning her results has helped her in her academics and she said the results have helped her to understand why school has always been a struggle for her, and how she can learn best and adapt her learning style and study habits to aid herself in the best way possible.

I also discussed with her how learning her results have helped her in different leadership roles. She said the results allow her to focus in on the gifts she has and help her to better understand her leadership roles. She said, “I understand that I love to get things started right away, communicate plans of action, create new ideas and ways of getting jobs done, and working with others.”

I asked about how her results have helped her in different relationships with others both on and off campus, she said, “Being aware of my strengths has helped me be aware of how I go about problems or issues, but also learning about other’s strengths has helped me understand that there might be miscommunication because we are coming from different points of view.” Kristen said her results help her most in a job setting when it comes to how well she works with others. She said it also encourages her to learn more about her leadership style and how she learns best.

I inquired if she has noticed any significant changes in her daily life since learning her results from the CliftonStrengths Assessment, and she said, “I do practices to help me grow in my strengths. For example, with ideation, I have an idea book and write down all my ideas so that I can sort through them and actually work on them!” Kristen said the best take away she has gained since taking this assessment is learning that you grow more when focusing on your strengths rather than your weaknesses. She said, “Instead of trying to fit into a job you aren’t gifted in, look for a career your natural gifts lead you to. You’ll then be able to help more in the job and feel more fulfilled.”

Kristen plans to work with the Young Life Field Staff when she leaves Grove City College. Here on campus she is involved with the Gamma Sigma Phi sorority and she is a Young Life Leader.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Double Varsity Sports with Gretchen Elsey

Gretchen Elsey Competing in the High Jump
Gretchen Taking a Shot on the Basketball Court

Gretchen Elsey is a sophomore here at Grove City College, majoring in Exercise Science, while also pursuing a Nutrition minor. When Gretchen is not in the classroom, you can most likely find her on the basketball court or on the track. That is correct, Gretchen plays two different sports at the varsity level for Grove City College. Gretchen is a shooting guard for the women’s basketball team, and she does mostly high jump, with a little bit of long jump for the track and field team.

Gretchen said it takes drive and discipline to play two varsity sports at the collegiate level, but she said she would not want it any other way. When I asked Gretchen about the time she must commit to both sports she said, “Basketball is definitely much more demanding because the season is so long. Our basketball team does a lot of community service projects as well so it’s not just basketball practice every day and it’s super cool to be able to reach out to the community and form those relationships. Whereas track is a little different because I miss a large majority of the indoor season because of basketball. They both take the same level of commitment though, in both sports, the team and coaches are relying on you to show up and focus in to get 1% better each day.”

Gretchen said she had always planned on playing two varsity level sports when she decided to come to Grove City College. I asked Gretchen if she prefers one sport over the other and she said, “That’s a tough question because they are so different. Track is nice because its more individualized in a team setting and it’s scored as a team event, but it heavily relies on how the individual performs. Basketball is 100% a team sport and everyone needs one another to perform at its best.” Gretchen said she has recently excelled more in track, but that basketball has taught her a lot about being mentally tough, which she can carry over from the court to the track.

Advantages coming from playing two sports, according to Gretchen, are all the friends and connections that are made and being like a big family with your team. She also said playing two sports really teaches her how to manage and balance her time effectively. Gretchen said some disadvantages are having less time for relaxing and taking naps, and that trying to make plans can be difficult because there is often a lack of free time.

I asked Gretchen how she manages her time when she is in the heat of her sports seasons, and she said, “It can be challenging but having very little free time really makes you have to do your work in between classes or right after practice. I’ve always been bouncing around from sport to sport and keeping busy, so for me it’s still the same routine.”

I also asked Gretchen how she focuses on academics when she is in the thick of her two different schedules, and she said, “It can be hard at times especially when there are those weeks where it feels like you have absolutely everything due and five exams and no time to do any of it, but I know that in a few years I won’t have competitive sports anymore so ultimately, I’m here to focus on my academics because that will follow me after my college career.”

Gretchen Elsey is the 3rd on the team in 3-pointers, and a two-year letter winner for the women’s basketball team. When it comes to track and field, Gretchen is the 2018 Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) outdoor high jump champion, 1st Team All-PAC, she has been named PAC Rookie of the Week twice, she has been named ECAC Rookie of the Week twice, she is the 2019 PAC indoor high jump champion, and she is the indoor record holder for women’s high jump at Grove City College.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

CliftonStrengths Assessment Project | Part 1

The CliftonStrengths assessment is an online talent assessment designed to allow people that take it to discover “the one true you.” Completing the CliftonStrengths assessment allows people to discover what they naturally do best; it helps them learn how to develop their greatest talents and allows them to use their customized results to live their best lives.

Widely known for its polls and employee selection research, Gallup (the company that makes the CliftonStrengths assessment) has conducted extensive research for over 30 years to identify talent that could be enhanced and used to pursue positive outcomes in work and educational settings. CliftonStrengths (formerly StrengthsFinder) is an online assessment of personal talent that identifies areas in which an individual has the greatest potential for building strengths. As an assessment based on positive psychology, its main application has been in the work domain, but it has been used for understanding individuals and groups in a variety of settings, especially higher education.

This year, Grove City College had several students take the CliftonStrengths assessment for free as part of a grant the College was awarded in order to foster a deeper exploration of calling and vocation for the students. The program development grant is from the Council of Independent Colleges, specifically their Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education. Grove City College has a mission of “equipping our students to pursue their unique callings.”  This assessment endeavors to provide students with a common language of talents and strengths and attempts to promote a culture where students thrive both inside the classroom here at Grove City College, and in the outside world.

Today, CliftonStrengths is available in more than 25 languages and more than 20 million worldwide have taken the assessment. CliftonStrengths presents 177 items that each consists of a pair of potential self-descriptors, and most of these descriptors are associated with a “theme.” A theme is a category of talents, which are defined as recurring and consistent patterns of thought, feeling, or behavior. The assessment measures the presence of talent in 34 distinct themes.

I will write a series of blog posts featuring students and faculty who have taken the CliftonStrengths assessment and interview them about how it has helped them learn more about themselves and their talents and how they are utilizing those results in their daily lives.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Intersession at Grove City College

Every year students at Grove City have the opportunity to take intersession courses provided by the College. An intersession course is taken for two-weeks, four hours a day, six days a week. Grove City offers these classes on-campus, and a select few are offered online. Intersession takes place in the winter, the last two-weeks of winter break, and in the spring, the first two-weeks of summer break. Not every class is offered as an intersession option, but many are, especially a lot of fundamental courses such as a science, accounting, math classes, etc., so students can get them out of the way before their “real” semester begins.

Sophomore Marketing major Gretchen Basham decided to take an intersession course this year, and she took hers during the winter session of 2019. Gretchen took Accounting 202, a required course for all Marketing majors, taken after completing Accounting 201. Gretchen said she decided to do this course for intersession because she wanted to get it out of the way in order to lighten her schedule for her Spring 2019 semester, and she knew she was not necessarily skilled or interested in this topic, so doing it for two-weeks straight was worth it to her in order to get it out of the way for her future schedule.

Gretchen said that she expected intersession to be a simple way to get a class done in two weeks; however, she said she found the class to be challenging, but intersession proved to be rewarding. Although a good way to take a class, she found it to be more labor intensive than she was expecting but said it could vary depending on the course being taken.

Gretchen said one very helpful thing about taking an intersession course is that it forces you to focus specifically on that topic and course and devote all your time to it because that is the only thing you have going on for two weeks. She also said this forced her to learn all the topics in the class, in order to do well, which allowed her to achieve success.

Gretchen said she would do intersession again if she knew there was another class she was not particularly interested in and knew she would want to get it done in the span of two weeks. She said intersession was very helpful to her and would recommend doing it with friends because it can be more fun and exciting when everyone else is gone from campus, and you can use your friends as resources when you may need some help.

An intersession experience can vary drastically depending on the course being taken, if you are with friends, if you are living on campus, commuting for your intersession experience, or in the case of the online intersession, staying at home to complete your course.

Grove City College provides many opportunities to allow its students to get ahead, and potentially add more flexibility to their schedules for future courses and semesters. There are also often many intersession traveling opportunities, where faculty-led trips go abroad, and students can earn credit while doing so.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

ICO Ecuador

Rachel and the ICO team in Ecuador (Photo Courtesy of Rachel Puls)
Rachel and the ICO team building for the locals (Photo Courtesy of Rachel Puls)

An Inner-City Outreach (ICO) trip is a mission trip where Grove City College students go out to a certain city, some in the US and some abroad, by themselves and do different missions work while also experiencing the culture of the place they are traveling to.

Sophomore Rachel Puls, who is an Elementary and Special Education major recently went on an ICO trip to Shell Mera, Ecuador from December 27th to January 7th. Rachel went to Ecuador with a group of 15 other Grove City College students. I asked her what made her decide to go on this ICO trip, and she said, “I always knew that I wanted to eventually try a missions trip, so I impulsively went to the meeting and applied and got in.”

Rachel said she absolutely loved her experience on this trip and would love to eventually go back. While there, the team built a workshop for the people living in the jungle to take classes and learn trades/skills that will help them to get jobs and sell their merchandise in the future. They also did some connecting with the Waorani Indians and people living in Ecuador as well as authentically experienced the culture and some of their traditions since they were there during New Years.

I asked Rachel if she would recommend going on an ICO trip to others, and she said, “Going as far as I did is definitely not something for everyone, but I would encourage people to try at least one in their lifetime, even if it is just in your neighboring city.  It is something that can really open your eyes to the Lord and help you to grow in ways you never thought possible.” This was Rachel’s first time going out of the country, and she said it was a great way to do it, and a way to truly experience other cultures.

She said her favorite part of the whole experience was being able to connect with so many people and not being worried about worldly or outside things, just being concerned with experiencing authentic communion together. I asked her if the trip met what she expected when signing up, and ultimately traveling there, and she said, “In some ways yes, but I also did not set many expectations and this trip went above and beyond for what I thought was going to happen and what I was going to see and experience.” She said the only downside to the whole trip was that some of the members of the group got sick toward the end, which was not the best.

Rachel said her favorite memory from the trip was when one day the team was hiking through the Amazon Jungle and she got to cut down banana trees with a machete!

Here on campus Rachel is a part of the ICO Ecuador team, and she is also a member of the Gamma Sigma Phi sorority, the Homecoming Committee, and a co-captain of the Women’s Club Lacrosse Team.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Professor Spotlight – Dr. Downey

Dr. Jim Downey, PhD

This year I took my first-ever science class at Grove City College. The class was Fundamentals of the Universe (SCIC 201), also known as “Baby Physics” and the class was on Wednesday nights, taught by adjunct professor, Dr. Jim Downey.

Dr. Downey is a very interesting guy. He has an extensive background of education and is very experienced in his line of work. Dr. Downey graduated from Grove City College in 1981 with a B.S. in Physics. He then took a career in the Air Force, both active and reserve Air Force, and he stayed there for 27 years until her retired as a Colonel. Dr. Downey also has a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Illinois, which means yes, he is a rocket scientist! Dr. Downey was a professor at Grove City College from 1992-2003, and then a Harvard Fellow from 2003-2004. He said Harvard was a very cool place to be and to learn. He also taught at the Army War College, which also was an incredible experience for him. Over these different educational experiences and career paths Dr. Downey has lived in six different states, with 11 different moves.

I asked Dr. Downey how it feels to be back on campus as an adjunct professor, and he said, “I have enjoyed the opportunity to teach physics again and particularly this course. When I was a full-time professor, I always loved teaching SCIC 201 as it was a way to expose mostly non-science people to a subject that I love and believe is important for people to know something about. I will admit when I first stepped back on campus it was a bit strange as so many years had gone by. However, it did not take long for the students to remind me how much fun teaching and learning with them can be. And it is always great to see my friends and former colleagues.”

Dr. Downey mentioned some differences in being a full-time professor and an adjunct professor here at Grove City College. He said that as a full-time professor you have essentially committed your life and career to the academy. But he said you also have the opportunity to interact with students on multiple occasions and in a variety of capacities. He said as an adjunct you also have a few advantages, such as, “the ability to focus on only one thing (assuming you are teaching just a single class). Another is a little bit of extra freedom in how you might engage the class because it is not your main job and perhaps the only thing that can happen is you are not invited back to teach again!” He also said the opportunity to bring in your professional experiences and perspectives can also be useful. Dr. Downey said the largest downsides are having to engage and disengage between your regular job and being an adjunct and a lack of opportunity to develop deeper relationships with students. You also are not really part of the rhythm and flow of campus life, so you can feel a certain detachment from the school.

I asked Dr. Downey if he finds it difficult to balance his day-to-day career and teaching here at Grove City. He said, “Yes. Clearly my priority must be to my work at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. What this most often means is that everything related to teaching at Grove City is accomplished in the evening hours and on the weekends. I know there have been times when I would have liked to work more on the class and have had to make choices just to stay on track. And any good professor will always be asking how they can improve what they are doing. However, there are also opportunities to try and share how something like physics can relate to certain aspects of my day job. And the Seminary is committed to having faculty and staff serve outside of the institution in a variety of ways. Ultimately, as in all things in life, you must figure out how to balance it to best serve all interests – not always an easy task yet a reality of life.”

Lastly in our discussion, I talked to Dr. Downey about Grove City College, and what he likes so much about this place from once being a student, and professor, and now coming back to teach once again. Dr. Downey said, “I suppose this could sound trite, but it is, in fact, the students. I am often asked what I miss most about teaching since the last 15 years of my career have predominately been in administrative roles. The answer is always the same – interaction with students. It is a joy and a privilege to speak into the lives of people with the hope that you will play a small part in preparing them for their future and whatever God is calling them to do. My time at Grove City now spans a couple generations between when I was a student and my most recent experience as an adjunct. So, I now have the entire spectrum and hope that giving back in this way closes the loop on how Grove City influenced my own life path.”

Currently Dr. Downey is Vice President for Planning & Institutional Effectiveness at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, and he resides in Franklin Park with his wife, and daughter who is a senior in high school, with another daughter in graduate school. Dr. Downey is also an avid Steelers fan!

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Hopeman School Project with Professor Buxton – Exercise Science

Professor Jeffrey Buxton, Exercise Science

Professor Jeff Buxton, a professor of exercise science at Grove City College, is currently pursuing his doctoral degree in Exercise Science from the Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions. He currently holds an M.S. in Exercise Science from California University of Pennsylvania and a B.S. in Kinesiology from Penn State University.

Professor Buxton has a wife, Mandie, and three children, Cayden (8), Elliya (6), and Amya (2). On campus, professor Buxton is a faculty advisor for Exercise Science Club, a faculty advisor for IRON, a member of the Wellness Committee, and he teaches multiple classes on campus, including: Introduction to Exercise Program Design, Personal Training, Exercise Prescription, Research Methods, Biomechanics, Research Practicum, Certified Exercise Physiologist. He has been a professor at Grove City College for six years.

Currently, Professor Buxton is completing his dissertation with the project: “The Effects of a Novel Ground-based Movement Training Program on Functional Movement, Range of Motion, and Muscular Strength and Endurance.” A dissertation is the primary project that is completed as part of a doctoral degree. In general, it is a research project of some kind that is carried out by the doctoral student under the guidance of their faculty and a dissertation committee, which is chosen by the student. This project is a necessary requirement to complete for the doctoral degree Buxton is pursuing.

When asked to “define” the project that he is working on, professor Buxton said, “My project will be looking at the effects of ground-based movement training on select fitness characteristics, including functional movement abilities, dynamic motor control, joint range of motion and muscular strength and endurance. Ground-based movement training (GBMT) is a style of training that explores and utilizes dynamic human movements. The quadrupedal position (all fours) is the base for most GB movements and often these movements mimic those of the animal kingdom! GBMT generally involves crawling patterns, rolling, specific poses or postures and transitions between these poses.”

The project will be a simple pre-test/post-test design. After pre-testing subjects will be randomly assigned to either eight weeks of GBMT (60min sessions 2x/week) or a control group (simply maintain current physical activity). After the eight-week intervention professor Buxton and his research group will perform a post-test and analyze the results.

When asked what data collection is involved with this dissertation, Buxton said,  “We plan to collect body composition changes (fat mass, fat free mass, etc.), joint range of motion scores for the shoulders, hips and ankles, Functional Movement Screen scores (functional movement quality), Y-Balance test scores (dynamic motor control for upper and lower extremities), hand grip strength and pushup test scores (upper body muscular endurance).”

As far as procedure goes when completing this dissertation, there were many different components.  First, his project had to meet the approval of his doctoral degree concentration track director. It then had to be approved by the universities head of research. From there the project proposal had to be approved by his dissertation committee members. He said, “At this point I am now awaiting approval from both Grove City College and Rocky Mountain University’s IRBs (Institutional Review Board). Once I have both IRB approvals, I can begin recruiting subjects and eventually collecting data.”

While waiting, he is pilot testing his methods with the help of student research assistants. According to Buxton, there is no concrete completion date for the dissertation, other than the seven years provided for most doctoral students. He said, “My hope is to begin and finish data collection this upcoming spring and then to defend my project at the end of the summer.”

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Going to College With a Sibling

Sophomore Gretchen Basham and her brother Sam Basham ’18 (Photo courtesy of Gretchen Basham)

There is something unique you may notice within the student population at Grove City College. Almost every student here at Grove City has some family connection to the College. Whether it is that their great grandpa went here, or that their mom went here, or even that their sibling attends Grove City College with them, and that they get to share in the experience.

At other schools this might not be a normal occurrence, but here at Grove City, legacy seems to matter, because many generations seem to admire Grove City College so much. I know many students on this campus who have had several family members attend Grove City College in the past, and many students that attend college and do life side-by-side their siblings.

Sophomore Gretchen Basham had an older brother, Sam, attend Grove City at the same time as her last year. When Gretchen was just coming to Grove City as a freshman, she had her brother on campus as a senior. When talking to Gretchen about what college was like when she went here with her brother this is what she had to say, “Going to college with my brother Sam was a good experience for me. He made coming to a school where I didn’t know anyone more comfortable. He was always across the way if I needed anything, and he was instrumental in introducing me to his friends, which added to the familiar faces on campus and led to new friendships.”

According the Gretchen, having a sibling at Grove City made the College more attractive because she was hesitant to go somewhere so far from home, where she did not know anyone. She was able to hear from him about his experience at Grove City College. Sam loved being at Grove City College, which was very helpful to Gretchen.

Gretchen told me, “Now that Sam has graduated I have realized how much I enjoyed him being here. His steady presence allowed me to be able to get advice and insight from his experience. We grew closer during the year we were at school together and now that he has graduated that has become more obvious.”

Gretchen said she had an expectation of going to college with a sibling and that it was as if she would feel like they were keeping tabs on her or that she would be annoyed by seeing her sibling everywhere. She told me that she was pleasantly surprised by the way she grew closer with her brother at college and the freedom she was still able to maintain while at Grove City.

Gretchen has a younger sister, Meredith, who is a senior in high school. Gretchen encouraged Meredith to apply to Grove City, and hopes they will form a stronger relationship, and have the joy of knowing she has a sibling around campus to always talk to once Meredith arrives here.

Personally, I have a younger brother, Lukas Blizzard, who is a senior in high school and applying early decision to Grove City. I encouraged him to apply and was able to share different perspectives and campus experiences with him that made him excited about the College. I look forward to experiencing college life alongside him and helping to guide him along the way.