Wesley S. Varughese '16

When I elected to attend Lawrence, my parents were weary, as was I. Here was a school in the Midwest, with a population of 1,500 students in a small town – it seemed like I was going backwards when we thought of a sizeable, diverse community. As a family, we were trying to understand the concept of liberal arts, while friends spoke about the state universities they were enrolling in the Fall. I attended a high school in the Chicago suburbs with more than 4,000 students. Growing up, we had family weddings that were larger than Lawrence’s population. In high school, I was a straight-A student that participated in a fair share of clubs and activities. Coming from a hard-working family as a first-generation college student, expectations were high. Doctor, lawyer, etc was the proposed end goal, and academics were a priority above it all. At Lawrence, the expectation was to maintain these goals. That didn’t happen.

Besides the introductory biology course (pre-med track at the time) and Freshman Studies, I was unsure of what course to take as my third for that first Fall term on campus. Finally, I came upon an introductory course in International Relations. The large appeal was that this course was co-taught by Professors Skran, Brozek, and former Senator Russ Feingold. Everything changed after that course – change of majors (Government/Spanish), new advisor, study abroad opportunities, and much more. I didn’t even mention to my family I was no longer on the pre-med track until my junior year; I was asking for a signature from my father to attend a 3-week trip to Sierra Leone and Guinea for a research and volunteer trip with the Government Department. 

This pivot changed my dynamic of what the university experience was supposed to be. Here I was, participating in the traveling classroom, getting real-life, tangible experiences to take with me to the world post-graduation. I studied abroad for a semester in Spain as well, which was well and good, but that almost didn’t compare to the practicum courses, volunteer experiences, and research projects I had abroad with Lawrence faculty and students. I developed a relationship with professors that went beyond my course work, mentors to this day. I was surrounded by so many brilliant classmates on these trips that I felt intimidated at times, but I learned so much from them as well. I developed my social intelligence skillset, further confidence in public speaking, and how to navigate difficult situations in new cultures, to name just a few. The beauty of it all: doing it together with fellow students who were just as afraid as me, but ecstatic to take on these new experiences. I came back from these trips with stories to share in other classes and in daily life. Back on campus, I served as LUCC President, learning how to balance committee meetings for various clubs after class, spending nights working at the VR, and practicing group presentations in between. There was a well-roundedness I gained that I don’t think I would have gotten elsewhere. Collectively, these experiences led me to live abroad as a business professional, spending the last few years abroad in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.  And now, wrapping up my final year in business school – preparing for the next adventure.

I didn’t graduate with honors or anything, but the experiences I garnered both on and off campus are a part of the badge of honor I carry today. I came out of Lawrence more humble, more open-minded, and most of all, more willing to try anything put in front of me. You won’t know until you’ve tried – Lawrence taught me that.