Mariah Kieffer '24 made the most of her summer vacation. Mariah, an English major with a concentration in Teaching English as a Foreign Language TEFL, participated in Ewha Womans University's Summer College program in Seoul, South Korea. She completed three courses–Traditional Korean Music, Korean Language, and Gender Relations in Korea. Mariah shared a few photos with descriptions of her time in South Korea.
"We went to Gyeongbokgung Palace in the center of Seoul wearing traditional Korean Hanbok clothing. It is where the last king lived during the Joseon dynasty."
"One of our field trips for Gender Relations in South Korea was to the Korean War and Women's Rights Museum for Korean Comfort Women."
"Olympic Park was a beautiful place to walk and see artwork scatter through the entire park. Here you can see and feel the Olympic flame and read about the tournaments and history etched into the wall about the first Olympic games South Korea hosted."
"One of my favorite place was Korean biggest Buddhist temple called Jogyesa. We did a tea ceremony and meditation then toured the grounds. The Bell represents the sky and the drum represents the earth. There was a wooden fish as well that represents the sea."
"In Traditional Korean Music we learned to play two traditional instruments the Gayageum (a 12 stringed instrument) and the Jang-gu (traditional drum). We learned to play two kid songs and 4 traditional folk songs."
"I have eaten lots of food, but Samgyeopsal is one of my favorites. It is Korean pork belly that is barbecued in front of you."
Internships are important because it's an opportunity for students to apply the skills they have learned in a real world setting and gain experience. Communications major, Moriah Story '22, did her intern work with Hankey Center and Boyd Archives at Wilson College. While there, Moriah organized the exhibit “Wilson's Renowned Visitors”.
Moriah shared this about her time at the Hankey Center, "Interning at the Hankey Center has been a really rewarding experience for me! As a future librarian, I enjoyed learning about archival studies and working hands-on with so much Wilson history. Flipping through old yearbooks and old issues of The Billboard offered me a glimpse into the long-standing sisterhood that Wilson women have curated for decades, and I loved feeling like a continuation of that legacy.”
While the MFA class was on campus for their summer residency, they curated a unique exhibit called "Disrobing Provenance" in the Hunnicutt Gallery. The students pulled artifacts from the antiquities and archive collections in the Hankey Center to create works that are topical and take on pressing issues of our time. The exhibit will be available into the fall semester so stop by the Hunnicutt Gallery in the Hankey Center to view it. You can learn more about the Wilson College MFA program here: wilson.edu/MFA
Wilson students are expanding their horizons with international travel and education this summer. Wilson mathematics major, Nicholas Mattson '23, traveled to the Netherlands to take Introduction to Business and International Management.
"My two week adventure in the Netherlands was an amazing experience. I was gifted with the opportunity of seeing the windmills in Zaanse Schans, to getting lost in the city of Amsterdam, sometimes not by choice. The course provided me with the chance to meet people from all across the world, and allowed me to practice skills related to the class. Finally the class for the two weeks was large but you might notice the class is a little smaller as I was cropped out the photo but I promise I was there."
Wilson veterinary nursing student, Paige Reynold's '23, was recently in Costa Rica with the Loop Abroad program. Loop Abroad provides pre-vet & wildlife study abroad programs for undergrad students. Paige shared some memories and photos of this amazing opportunity.
"I was lucky enough to be able to participate in Loop Abroad’s two-week trip to Costa Rica within the Dogs and Dolphins program. Upon arriving, we were immediately introduced to 11 other students from all over the world and taken to the Osa Peninsula for a week where we participated in behavioral research involving dolphins through the Center for Cetacean Research of Costa Rica (CEIC). We saw such diverse marine life, including bottle nose dolphins, spotted dolphins, sea turtles, a whale shark, and plenty different types of fish. We were mentored by two amazing veterinarians who led us through several different necropsies of fish as well. At the end of the week, we went ziplining through the beautiful mountains of the jungle.
The second week, we traveled to Alajuela. We were able to further our technical skills and practice common diagnostics with dogs at Territorio de Zaguates, or Land of the Strays, which is a non-profit, no-kill shelter for around 2,000 stray dogs that have been brought in from the streets of Costa Rica. We also assisted a local veterinarian in a spay and neuter clinic for a day. I learned so much and made so many new friends and connections, and this trip will forever hold such a special place in my heart."
Mexican poet, Manuel Iris, recently visited the Wilson MFA class to give a talk and a reading. Manuel read, in English and Spanish, from his most recent book, The Parting Present/ Lo Que Se Irá. That evening he held a bilingual reading/workshop at the Coyle Free Library.
When asked about the importance of poetry, Manuel replied "I would prefer to live in a world without engines for cars, than one without lullabies to sing to babies."
Manuel Iris was the poet Laureate Emeritus of the City of Cincinnati, Ohio (2018-2020), had received the “Merida” National award of poetry (Mexico, 2009) for his book Notebook of dreams, and the Rodulfo Figueroa Regional award of poetry for his book The disguises of fire (Mexico, 2014). Manuel has been a presenter at the Wilson College Creative Writing Colloquium. For more information on Manuel Iris, please visit his website at manueliris.com.
James Pasaribu '22, psychology major, is one of Wilson's most active students. He is an RA, a member of the Nerd Crew, competes on the esports team, and has joined most of the college service trips.
Wilson’s road to adding an esports team began with Dean Williams asking undergraduate James Pasaribu, the vice president of the Wilson College Government Association, to research the costs and challenges of setting up an esports program. As an esports fan and player, he was an enthusiastic advocate and wrote a proposal that was accepted by the College leadership.
James shares why he feels Wilson College is the right fit for him. "At any larger university, you are only one of many, a mere statistic. At Wilson, you are treated as a person with ideas and opportunities. If you have an idea and talk to the right people, they will look you in the eye, smile, and say, "Why not?"
A career in the sports industry was always a dream for Zach Powell '21. "I recently started working as the Sports Editor at the Lock Haven Express in Pennsylvania. Wilson helped me make this possible by letting me work as a staff writer for the Billboard Newspaper, where I found my passion for sports writing."
Zach was a communications major at Wilson College while playing on the men's basketball team. It was writing for the college newspaper, "The Billboard" that sparked his interest for sports writing. Zach went on to get his Master's Degree in Sports Journalism at Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis. While there he worked for the Indianapolis Star, where he had the opportunity to cover such events at the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship Football game and the 2022 NCAA Final Four.
Zach has now joined the Lock Haven Express as the sports editor.
Wilson College MFA Alum, Katie Pustizzi '21, has been dancing in Sardegna, Italy through the Robert M. and Brenda Ashton Aiken Scholarship. Katie particpated in a workshop with Senza Confini Di Pelle in Sardegna. She also performed a self-choreograhed solo at Rifugio Di Mare with the company. Pictured are a few moments from her week with Senza Confini Di Pelle exploring the connection between dance and landscape.
The Wilson College veterinary nursing faculty often host young students on campus who are interested in a future in animal healthcare. It is an opportunity to show them what Wilson's vet nursing program and a career in vet nursing can be like.
In June, ninth and tenth graders gave some patient bananas sutures. The students were part of a MedCamp at Penn State Mont Alto and visited Wilson College on a field trip. Their time on campus included some hands-on experience stitching up wounded but very thankful bananas. Hopefully some day they will look back on this as the first step on their journey to a fulfilling job in healthcare.
In May, students from the Veterinary Assistant program at Fulton County Center for Career and Technology visited the Wilson College Veterinary Education Center. It was a chance to ask questions about veterinary nursing, tour the facilities, and get some hands-on experience.
