College is more than just a four-year study period to get your bachelors degree; it is a journey to explore your passions and period of personal growth. The myriad of opportunities St. Olaf offers can make this journey an enjoyable and memorable experience.  I like to think of my journey at St. Olaf as a puzzle where a plethora of different pieces have been combined in different ways in order to complete the puzzle by the time I graduate. You will know if you have ever tried to complete a 1000 piece puzzle that it is a process that requires patience, determination and an open mindset.

Exploring The World

Being an international student does not mean that you cannot study abroad while being abroad. I know it sounds strange, but think about the opportunity of studying abroad in a whole new country or even continent. Why not try one of our unique global semester and travel to 7 different countries in 3 different continents? I can personally say that studying abroad in England this last semester gave me the opportunity to get a good taste of the British culture and education system as well as traveling to countries such as Netherlands, France, Italy and Germany.

Exploring Your Vocation

Having a liberal arts education gives you the unique opportunity to explore your passions and vocations in life. Deciding whether you will be an ambassador for your country, a doctor who cures cancer or the next Picasso can be a hard process and can require some exploration before making up your mind.

The good news is that you do not have to make that decision until the end of your second year! For example, one of the counselors has tried three different fields before finding out Social Work was her passion and the first step to her career as an occupational therapist. I leave you as homework to find out which counselor I am talking about and why not ask her few questions about her decision

I also invite you to consider some volunteer opportunities and summer programs. Last summer I had the opportunity to explore my passion for Economic Development by working for the City Council. This summer, I change directions and decided to get science research on fluvial systems in Japan and Minnesota. Finally, I recommend you to consider some of the suggestions in previous other posts and get involved with different organizations on campus related to some of your passions. You would be surprised how these activities and summer programs can help shape your academic interest and even career passions.

I am looking forward to meeting you all and seeing the direction of your journey throughout your first year in college!

Cheers!

Gabriel Trejos’14