Since transferring to Gustavus in the spring of her sophomore year, Megan has become a role model to many. For others, she has become a hero.
Megan found herself driving home every weekend during her time at the College of St. Benedict.
“It didn’t feel like home,” Megan said.
She made the decision to transfer to Gustavus where she would study Biology as well as Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies. Within her first semester, Megan only visited home once.
“Right away I met best friends. A lot of people cared about me and my experience here,” Megan said.
She applied to be a Collegiate Fellow just two weeks after moving into her new home. Megan almost missed her interview because she still didn’t know the buildings on campus. Luckily, Megan made it to her interview and was accepted. During her Junior year, Megan was the Collegiate Fellow in Uhler hall.
“I truly loved my job. There were so many people that made it a fun experience. I got to help others grow and I grew too. Some of my residents moved on to be CF’s. It was really rewarding,” Megan said.
Megan’s previous resident, Senior Psychology major Kelly Lindahl, decided to become a Collegiate Fellow after spending a year watching Megan work.
“Megan is so genuine and cares a lot about others. She was my CF last year and she went out of her way to help me throughout the whole year. The impact she had on me and the way she was able to positively affect my year made me want to be a CF and hopefully do that for othes,” said Lindahl.
Besides working as a Collegiate Fellow, Megan is the President of the Delta Phi Omega sorority, the Community Service Chair of Inter-Greek Senate, and the Sexual Assault Prevention Intern for the Dean of Students Office. When asked if she wishes she had more free time, Megan did not hesitate to respond.
“I chose to participate with activities I’m passionate about. It doesn’t feel busy and it doesn’t feel like work, because I’m really passionate about it,” Megan said.
Megan exemplifies the spirit of liberal arts by drawing connections between her disciplines and bringing curiosity and genuine effort to everything she does.
“She has the academic maturity to ask questions of how issues of health care, gender, and how our economy operates impact one another,” Assistant Professor of Gender, Women and Sexuality studies Kristian Braekkan said. “Being able to bring together knowledge and understanding from different disciplines is not something most students attempt to do, but I see that as one of Megan’s strengths.”
Even after a busy school year, Megan doesn’t take summers off. Two summers ago Megan went on a trip to Nepal with Doctors without Borders that would change her life.
“We went to do medical mission work. While I was there I delivered a baby who they named Megan,” she said.
She grew incredibly close to the 17 year old mother, who calls Megan “sister” and the baby girl, who calls Megan “mama.” They stayed in touch after Megan returned to the United States. So when Megan learned that they were affected by the earthquake in April, she decided to bring her new family home.
Through her church Megan was able to raise an incredible $18,000 to bring the mother and child to the United States. They are currently in the process of getting their Visas and will move into Megan’s home.
“We are hoping they will be here before Christmas,” Megan said.
This year Megan is the Area Coordinator in Rundstrom Hall. The walls of her apartment are covered with pictures of baby Megan. She is excited to take on the new responsibilities of her position, and to continue to excel academically.
“Currently, Megan and I are exploring research about the gendered division of labor. It forces her to catch up on literature from disciplines outside her two majors, but as with everything else she does, she approaches it with a smile,” Braekkan said. “Some of that is probably a very healthy personality trait, but I also think she truly enjoys the process of learning. That is rare in today’s society where students are trained to think about outcomes rather than the underlying processes.”
In the future, Megan hopes to continue working to serve others.
“Ideally my plan is medical school and focusing on women’s health,” Megan said. “My hope is to become a Doctor for Doctors without Borders and do more mission work. I love helping people and traveling, so it’s the best of both worlds.”
-Molly Butler
