What has been a dream of yours?

“I’ve always dreamed of traveling around the world. I still haven’t been outside of the country, so I still need to work on that part. But I still love just traveling around the states and visiting all of national parks. I love it, and seeing God’s beauty and creation firsthand is wonderful for me.”

What has been a big inspiration in your life?

“Well, in terms of my career, I’m currently an Elementary Education major with a Math endorsement to teach grade 5 through 8. The person who really inspired me to pursue this path was my senior year AP Calc teacher. She connected really well with all of her students and showed us how much she really cared. She made the material fun and easy to learn. Seeing her made me want to teach and be that kind of teacher to my future students, so she was a big inspiration in my life.”

What’s a goal that you have for your career?

“Well my goal is pretty straightforward: once I’ve gone through the entire education program here, hopefully I’ll get a job that I’ll really like and positively influence students.”

What kind of advice would you give to someone trying to pursue their dreams?

“I would say just go for it. Even if it doesn’t happen right after the first attempt, you can still make steps and be proactive with your dreams. It may take a while, but if you keep working at them, you’ll get there. I know I won’t be able to travel right out of college and I’ll need to make and save money, but it’s something I’ve been working towards and I haven’t given up, and I think that’s the important part.”

Beneath The Crown was created by Nick Theisen (‘15). It is inspired by Humans of New York (HONY) and aims to bring the community of Gustavus Adolphus College closer together by providing the perspectives of the many different people who live and work at the school.