Washington and Lee University

It’s a long way from Arizona’s bone dry Sonoran Desert, with its giant cactus, prickly pear plants and 115 degree summer days, to the green, rolling hills of Lexington, Virginia. The distance is both geographic and cultural, but I am very glad that I made the trip.

As an Arizona native, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect by going “back east” to a small liberal arts school in the South, but there were many things that attracted me to Washington and Lee. I had a strong interest in business, and W&L offers the advantage of having the Williams School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics, a nationally accredited school of business, where undergraduates can take courses towards their business and economics degrees. I also wanted to continue to participate in competitive athletics, and I quickly found a home on the cross country and track and field teams. The coaches are great, and our teams are very competitive in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference.

During my freshman year, the associate dean of the Williams School told me about the Kemper Foundation Scholar program. Washington and Lee is one of a select number of schools with which the Kemper Foundation partners. The Kemper Foundation is dedicated to the idea that a liberal arts education is the best preparation for a career in business. After a competitive three-stage screening process, I was lucky enough to be selected as the Class of 2008 Kemper Scholar for Washington and Lee.

As a part of its emphasis on the value of a liberal arts education for success in business, the Kemper Scholar program offers an opportunity to intern with a non-profit organization during your sophomore summer, and with a for-profit organization during your junior summer. I spent my sophomore summer in Chicago working at The Newberry Library, assisting the library’s new president develop a strategic plan for the institution. It was an opportunity for me to be on my own in a major city, and to get direct experience working in a professional setting. For my junior year internship, I will be going to Lehman Brothers in New York City to work in their investment banking operation.

The Kemper Scholar program is just one of the many wonderful opportunities available at Washington and Lee. I also enjoy being active with my fraternity, and I have had the opportunity to take a leadership role in athletics, having been elected captain of the track team for two seasons. I sometimes miss the 115 degree days of home, but W&L offers such a great education and college experience that coming here has been more than worth it.