Category: Student Spotlights

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Study Abroad: Greece Summer Intersession

Europe Study Abroad

https://vimeo.com/359858009

How did you balance taking a class while studying abroad?

Before traveling to Europe, all the students met with our professor for the Christianity and Civilization course, and we had assignments to complete before leaving. We read numerous books and wrote responses. When we flew to Greece, we took our midterm on the airplane. This aspect was a little hard because I was tired, but I managed to get it done. While we were in Europe, we had to complete journal responses at our leisure. Finally, we all had to give a presentation at a designated tourist spot. It may seem like a lot, but I would do it all again in a heartbeat.

At which location did you present?

I did my presentation at Mycenae where I had the opportunity to talk about King Agamemnon and his tomb. It was really interesting because the view was incredible while climbing the mountain, but the tomb is in a honeycomb structure. So, when you go inside, there were cement blocks laid out to look like a honeycomb from a beehive. The acoustics were great and we all sang as one.

If a prospective student was interested in studying abroad for two weeks, what would you tell them?

I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants to travel and also get coursework done too! It is great if you want to complete one of your humanities courses. The one thing I did not realize until we got there was the people you travel with will become some of your closest friends and I still hang out with them on campus now.

How did you find out about the Summer Study Abroad opportunity?

I saw a poster around campus, so I went on my.gcc.edu and went under the International Education tab to learn more about travel courses Grove City College offers.

Europe is known for its food, so what was your favorite item you ate while in Greece and Italy?

Oddly enough, I do not like vegetables, but one of my favorite things to eat was the Greek salad. The vegetables were so fresh, and they serve it with a huge block of cheese and olive oil, it was phenomenal. I still have dreams about the first salad I ate there, that is how good it was. On the other hand, my favorite dessert became baklava on this trip.

 

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Student Athletic Training Spotlight: Gretchen Elsey

Student Athletic Trainer, Gretchen Elsey

Grove City College offers a myriad of career-focused internships and job opportunities on-campus. This past semester, junior Gretchen Elsey had the opportunity to work with the athletic training department as a Student Athletic Trainer. Academically, Gretchen is pursuing a major in Exercise Science and a minor in Nutrition. Outside of classes, she keeps herself busy playing varsity basketball and track and field, while also committing time toward the Exercise Science Club. In the following interview, I had the opportunity to sit down with Gretchen and learn more about her experience as a Student Athletic Trainer.

How do you balance working on-campus, playing two varsity sports, and academics?

Being involved in so many things teaches you time management. I think my high school experience has helped me prepare for the things I do now because I was always involved in a lot of things. Truthfully, I love working, playing sports, and focusing on my studies. I could not see my life without doing all of these things and they make me want to stay motivated to do them.

Tell me about your current role as a Student Athletic Trainer.

https://vimeo.com/359592348

What advice would you give a prospective student hoping to get involved in the STEM field?

The STEM majors are an up and coming career path. Being an Exercise Science major has taught me a lot about different sports and my sport as well. I also have learned about how different athletes can respond to different stimuli, and this will help me in my future career.

Who influenced you to work as a Student Athletic Trainer?

The head athletic trainer, Rick Hawk, needed help for the upcoming football season and he knew I was pursuing a degree in Exercise Science. So, he approached me and asked if I would be interested in learning more about athletic training and truthfully, I believe this was another way the Lord has opened a door of opportunity for me. Also, I work with two other Student Athletic Trainers and they have become very close friends.

Do you envision yourself pursuing a career in athletic training?

I could see myself making a career out of this. I look forward to going down and helping the football team every day, while also growing as a professional in this industry. Finally, I would highly recommend this program and other career-focused programs that Grove City College offers because the relationships I am making now will help me tremendously in my future career.

Thank you, Gretchen, for the great insight. I look forward to hearing more about your experience soon.

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Varsity Women’s Track and Field Spotlight: Rohanna Foote

Grove City College Track and Field

Rohanna Foote, class of 2020, is well-known at Grove City College as one of the top sprinters for the Wolverines Track and Field team. The Ardmore, PA native had a standout season in 2018 and is looking to capitalize on her success for her final year as a sprinter. Academically, Rohanna is majoring in International Business with Marketing and French concentrations. Off the track, Rohanna enjoys spending time with her discipleship group and Students Excited About Diversity (S.E.A.D.). I had the opportunity to sit down with Rohanna and discuss her upcoming track season and the impact Grove City College has had on her life up to this point.

Why did you choose to come to Grove City College and compete on the Track and Field team?

https://vimeo.com/359596786

What would you say is unique about Grove City College’s Track and Field team?

I think the community here is really special. I visited Geneva and Westminster before Grove City, but I felt most at home with the track team here. Also, I enjoy how we are all brought together by Christ. We do Bible studies, team events like tie-dye, and team worship.

Do you find that the coaching staff is approachable when you are seeking advice?

Yes, I think all the coaches are open and great at giving advice. My freshman year, the current Athletic Director, Todd Gibson was the track coach and I remember him inviting me into his office one of the first days of class. He told me if I ever needed help finding a tutor or help with anything, his office was always open. I have found that this is the same with our current track coach, Jessica Smith. I have gone to her office to talk about my personal life, family, track, and academics. She is always easy to talk to and makes herself available.

What has been your favorite track team memory?

My favorite memory was traveling to Ithaca, New York for the All-Atlantic Region Track and Field Conference Championship. It was really fun, from the bus ride to the actual meet. We were all focused and performed our best, then we got to hang out as a team for the remainder of the weekend.

Do you have any specific goals going into your final season?

I want to continue getting personal records in my events, the 60m, 100m, 200m, and the 4x100m relay. In addition, I hope to set a few school records in my respective events. Aside from sprinting, I am trying long jump for the first time this year and my goal is to get a mark!

What advice would you give a current high school senior who has one track and field season left before college?

Based on my high school experience, I was in my peak condition and I think it is important coming into freshman year of college to continue training throughout the summer. Also, when you get to college stay focused on your academics, but also make time to go to the gym. Track is a team sport, so have a good team spirit because you are contributing to how well the team does overall.

Track and Field

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Grove City College Camp Fair Spotlight: Alex Berrios

One of the many opportunities offered at Grove City College is the Camp Fair, an event that takes place in the early spring, providing information to students about the various camp opportunities that are offered from many different areas. This is where Alex Berrios, a sophomore elementary education major with a minor in Christian Ministries, received her interview and job placement as a camp counselor at Camp Carl in Ravenna, Ohio.

Alex spoke to me about her experience at the camp fair and how it helped open the door to this amazing opportunity. Camp Carl is a Christian summer camp run by Tom Sullivan who is a resident of Ohio. Mr. Sullivan reached out to Alex and came to Grove City College to interview her for this position. Not only did he leave the Camp Fair with Alex signed up as a camp counselor, but with 12 other Grove City College students as well. With 13 students from one school, it resulted in one of the largest, if not the largest, population of student counselors from one school.

From the Camp Fair experience, Alex was lead into a very fruitful summer. Throughout this 12-week summer camp, there were new age groups of campers rotated each week. Alex and her co-counselor were given between eight to 16 girls each week in whom they invested. Alex stated that she was able to, “witness to them the life of Jesus and demonstrate to them what it meant to be a ‘child of God.'” She was also given the opportunity to form close biblical related relationships with other staff members which she will cherish for many years to come.

From this unforgettable experience the camp fair helped Alex receive, she not only got to help encourage many campers in their walk of faith, but also continue to grow and strengthen her relationship with Christ. She was even given a night to speak and share her testimony to the campers. Alex highly recommends not only Camp Carl, but attending the Camp Fair as a whole.

 

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Summer’s Best Two Weeks: Counselor Spotlight

Ashley, SB2W

Ashley Mietlicki, Class of 2021, is a kind-hearted student here at Grove City College who loves sharing her passion for the Lord, playing softball, and enjoying time with friends around campus. This past summer, Ashley had the opportunity to go back to Summer’s Best Two Weeks (SB2W) and work as a camp counselor for the second year. SB2W is a well-known summer youth camp and family recreation park on the shores of beautiful Lake Quemahoning in Somerset County. A number of Grove City College students work at SB2W. In the following interview, you will get an inside look at life as a camp counselor at SB2W and the impact it had on Ashley’s faith.

What does a typical day look like for a camp counselor at SB2W?

As a counselor, I would wake up around 7:30 a.m. and prepare for the campers (aged 6-18 years old) to get up at 7:45 a.m. As soon as everyone in my cabin is ready for the day, we partake in morning exercises. During this time, counselors have the opportunity to share a devotional with our campers. This is a special time for myself because it allows me to share the Lord’s word with others. After devotionals, we ate breakfast and had competitions where campers could win points for their team. This allows campers to grow closer to one another and learn the importance of working in groups. Finally, after dinner, we have summer life nights where counselors put on skits and the camp director shares their thoughts about a passage in the Bible.

How has SB2W strengthened your faith?

It has given me the opportunity to learn not only from people my age but through the lives of campers. Watching the kids at camp interact with each other and show God’s love and forgiveness is always rewarding. I truly believe God has a plan for everyone’s life, and I got to witness this every day in the summer.

Is Grove City College affiliated with SB2W?

They are not directly affiliated with SB2W, but there are several Grove City College students who work at camp or have been campers themselves. There are flyers about camp displayed around campus and our camp director visits a Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) meeting. During their visit, they show a video from past summers and talk about their mission and vision.

What advice would you give to an incoming staff member from Grove City College?

One point of advice I would give an incoming staff member would be to go into camp open-minded. It might be very different than what you expected, even if you were a prior camper. Also, be super excited for all the opportunities that will come your way because there are ways that the Lord will work in your life that you would have never imagined, and there will be incredible people that you meet.

What is your favorite memory from this past summer?

My favorite memory is from our overnight trip during the last term of the summer. I led a biking excursion with one of my really good friends at camp. We got to spend time with our campers while bonding over God’s word, our love for nature, and the joy of biking.

Summer's Best Two Weeks Counselor Spotlight

If a prospective student wishes to get involved with Summer’s Best Two Weeks, please visit sb2w.org.

 

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Varsity Men’s Football Spotlight: Kelsey Tischler

Grove City College Football

How often do you have the opportunity to watch a woman play football at the collegiate level? If you have never witnessed this, I invite you to attend a Grove City College football game at Robert E. Thorn Field this year. Pittsburgh native and senior, Kelsey Tischler, is one of the kickers for the football team, and she makes sure to never disappoint the crowd. Her love for football and the program is something very special. I had the chance to talk with Kelsey and learn more about her decision to pursue collegiate football. Here are her remarks:

At what moment did you realize you wanted to play football?

My junior year of high school, I was sitting in the student section during one of the football games, and I watched the kicker kick an extra point. I thought to myself, that would be fun. So, the next night I was at a neighborhood campfire and I told my neighbor that I wanted to kick for the football team. It was at that moment, there was a fire lit inside of me. I did not realize it then, but that was 100% the Lord giving me His plan.

How challenging is it to be the only female athlete on an all-male team?

I have been blessed with the greatest teammates, and I think it speaks so highly of who they are as men. At times there are personal challenges for myself, but the guys are all so kind to me and they make it pretty easy. Sometimes, it is weird because I look around and ask myself, what am I doing here, but there is nowhere else I would rather be than on this Grove City College football team.

Do you ever question your faith since God has created a path for you that is very different from most college females?

I think there are times when I ask myself why I am here, then I understand that God has sent me here for a reason. So, sometimes there will be moments where I question something but I always go back to the Lord and His plan for me, which I know is good and this is where I am meant to be.

The football team is coming off a great 2018 season, what are the team goals for the upcoming season?

We have had the same goal since day one when I walked in here and we were one of the worst teams in the country. It would be to glorify God in the pursuit of earning a degree, building lasting relationships and competing for PAC championships.

Which coach gives you the most inspiration on or off the field?

Coach Brest just joined the coaching staff this past year as the kicking coach and he has had a really big impact on me. Throughout my three years here, Coach DiDonato has done an incredible job, and it is hard to put it into words. I cannot believe that he is my head coach. He is the best coach anyone could ever ask for, and he incorporates winning but also character, making sure we are developing as young men and women off the field.

Can you tell us about the significance of the phrase, Brick by Brick?

This phrase means a lot to everyone on the football team. To me and a lot of the other players, it means vision, process, and love. We have a vision, our process is to keep laying bricks until it becomes a wall and love is what holds everything together.

Grove City College FootballGrove City College Kicker

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Women’s Volleyball Off To a Hot Start

Grove City College Women's Volleyball

Grove City College Women’s Volleyball team is off to a 5-0 start, which is the best for the Wolverines since 2007. One of the key players on the team is outside hitter, St. Louis, Mo. native, Elisabeth Sems. In the classroom, Elisabeth is a junior majoring in Business Management. While on the court she is a two-year letterwinner and ended her 2018 season second on the team in both points with 242.5 and kills with 221. In the following interview with Elisabeth, you will get an inside look at the Wolverines undefeated volleyball team.

Your season has been off to a great start, what do you attribute to this success?

I believe we work well together and we all love each other a lot. As a team, we trust each other and are always supportive of one another. In addition, I think our coach has been a huge part of our success because in the last two years we had different coaches and it was difficult to get used to a coaching style so quickly. But, this year Coach Sayles has been very consistent and he is very knowledgeable about volleyball.

Speaking of your coach, how has the transition been with the new coaching staff?

The transition has been really good. In fact, it was nice to have a spring season with Coach Sayles because we had the opportunity to get used to how he runs a practice and his expectations for the team. Playing in the spring gave the team an idea of what we should work on during the offseason before going into our actual season in the fall. I think Coach Sayles knows all of us well and truly understands his players. An important quality that I love about Coach is his ability to motivate us and help us work hard to achieve team goals.

What would you say is unique about Grove City College’s Women’s Volleyball team?

The main element of our team that makes us unique is our team chemistry. We have a lot of returners from last season, in fact, only one player did not come back to play this season. On top of having a lot of upperclassmen return, we added several great freshmen who are already making a positive impact on the team. Our team chemistry will continue to grow as we play together as one unit.

If you could give advice to a prospective student hoping to play volleyball, what would it be?

One main point that I would love to share with prospective volleyball players is that you only have four years in college, and it goes by really fast. So, enjoy your time playing this sport and be intentional. I cannot stress that enough – be intentional every time you get to play. You have an amazing opportunity to play for a great college, so play with a purpose and an intention.

Has your faith impacted you as an individual while playing volleyball, and how has it been implemented this year for the team as a whole?

In terms of the team, faith has been a big part of our team identity since Coach Sayles is the Associate Athletic Director for Sports Ministry and he is very knowledgeable on this subject. He makes faith and scripture a part of all our practices and games. Individually, volleyball is very mental and a game of mistakes. So, you have to know where your true identity is, and my faith has helped me find that.

Elisabeth Sems Volleyball

 

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Being an Undeclared Major – Katelyn Bartley

 

Sophomore Katelyn Bartley talks about coming to Grove City College without having a declared major. She says she decided to be undeclared because she was not confident in what she wanted to do for a career. Katelyn also felt that as a home-schooled student she had not explored all the options of possible career paths well enough to make an informed decision. She says she knew that she enjoyed some subjects she had learned about in high school, like English and History, but did not think that she wanted to pick a major based on that.

Katelyn says that as an undeclared major she was able to take different classes and learn more about her options for majors. She was able to avoid falling behind by taking a lot of required classes. One of these core classes was sociology and, from there, she developed an interest in social work. After taking more social work classes her second semester, she declared her major as Social Work.

Katelyn says she does not regret coming to college as an undeclared major. She says the decision was very helpful because she did not take classes she did not need by coming in as another major and then having to switch later on. She had the opportunity to take general classes that would apply to any major while exploring a few classes that sparked her interest. She credits this decision to not putting her behind in her major requirements now.

When asked if she has any advice for rising freshmen that are facing the same decisions, she says they should come in undeclared if they have a couple options and are unsure of one specific major. Katelyn points out that the professors are really helpful with students that want to explore options or have questions. She also says that student advisors are helpful in transferring from being undeclared to finding a major. She says that career services also personally aided her in her decision.

“There are always people here to give you advice and help you figure it out,” says Katelyn.

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Being an Undeclared Major: Lilly Klein

Sophomore student Lilly Klein knows what it is like to come into college without being set on a major. Although being undeclared can be stressful, Lilly says she does not regret the decision.

Lilly says she always knew she always enjoyed writing, but was not sure what career options would be available to her in the field. Due to this, she made the choice to hold off on choosing her major. She also says that she did not want to decide on a major and then have to change.
During her freshman year, Lilly took mainly general education classes that would apply to most (if not all) majors. During her sophomore year she branched out and took an accounting class. Lilly says that it was this class that helped her decide on a major. During that semester she declared an Accounting major with an English minor.
“I liked it a lot and I would nerd out about it with my mom and my friends. That’s what convinced me,” reflects Lilly.
She says she is grateful for her year and a half without a declared major because she says otherwise she might have never found her passion for accounting. Although her mom studied accounting, she had not considered it as an option for herself.
Lilly believes that the main benefit of being undeclared is that it gives the student a lot of flexibility and they can explore different classes without feeling like they are putting off classes in their major.
When asked if she has any advice for younger students faced with a similar situation to hers, she says, “Don’t be afraid of not having a major. I’d also say make sure you take a lot of diverse classes. One thing that I kind of regret is that I took a lot of required classes in my spring of freshman year. It wasn’t a bad decision necessarily because I got them out of the way, but it put off my decision-making process a bit more. Try to balance required classes with exploratory classes.”
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Student Internship Spotlight | John Perry

John Perry is a senior Finance major with a minor in Accounting. He is from Vienna, Va. John is a member of the housing group Sigma Phi Omicron while at the same time a member of Delta Mu Delta Honors Society. John’s internship took place in the summer of 2018. The following is the Q&A session that I held with John Perry pertaining to his internship experience. This Q&A provides some insight on an internship for a Finance major.

 

Where did you intern?

Ryan Homes

What was your position?

Home Production Intern

Tell me a little bit about your experience? Likes/ Dislikes?

I loved the job. It was very hands on and interactive. They helped me along in the beginning in order to learn the home building cycle and process, but after that they let me take off and do the work independently. I managed subcontractors, met with inspectors and home owners, and was allowed to run the construction site on my own for two weeks. I can honestly say I have never learned so much in one summer. It was challenging, but I honestly believe the best way to learn is to do the task itself and I learned the ins and outs of the home building process and subcontractor relationships through experience. Running the site was the most fun I had because I got to shoulder all the responsibility while also feeling like I knew what I was doing and got to put it in to practice. The only dislike I had was that some days they didn’t have a ton for me to do, but I quickly learned I could walk the site on my own and learn by talking to the builders.

What skills did you learn?

I learned how to run a construction site on my own, which taught me how to handle a lot of responsibility. I learned the ins and outs of the home building process.

In what ways did Grove City College help prepare you for this internship?

Grove City taught me to work diligently and be proud of the results of hard work, a skill I practiced all summer. The college also helped me learn time management skills, which was a significant portion of my job.

Did Grove City College assist you in obtaining this internship?

Yes, I received this internship through the Grove City College Career Fair.

Upon closing out the Q&A with John, I talked to him more about what life after college looks like for him. John has received a job offer from this internship but is currently exploring his options within the finance field. In exploring his options John has been fiercely interviewing with many companies trying to find not just a job offer but a workplace which can challenge him and make a career for himself.