Starting Out . . .
 Tara
Whitney '04 heard about IC from a friend of her mother's. She
came to look and loved the campus. In her first year she was one
of a growing number of students who choose H&S's Exploratory
Program. Says director Kathy Lucas, "The program is attractive
to freshmen because it allows them to try a variety of disciplines
before they select a major. They may have had little exposure
in high school to the range of courses offered in college, like
Environmental Economics, Sociology of War and Peace, or Introduction
to Japanese Culture. Last fall almost half of H&S freshmen
chose this program."
Whitney is enthusiastic about the program. "Hardly anyone knows
what they want to do with the rest of their lives when they first
enter college, and even many who do pick a major right away end
up changing it after a semester or a year. My first semester I
took lots of different courses. I really enjoyed my honors seminars
--- The Native American in American Culture; Biotechnology; and
Sex, Gender, and Desire."
She sampled and then made up her mind. "I've always loved math
and English and especially working with children, so with the
inspiration of some of my high school teachers and the encouragement
of my first-semester math professor, Jim Conklin, I decided to
major in math education for grades 7 through 12." When asked why
she chose to emphasize math over English, she said: "I actually
see many similarities between the two. Both are highly analytical
and require you to look for patterns to solve a problem or come
up with an interpretation. One reason I chose math over English
is that so many women seem to shy away from math. I hope someday
to be a role model for any girl who is good in math and wants
to advance in the field."
Mentors have always been part of Whitney's life. "My mother helped
foster my love for reading by teaching me how to read when I was
very young and by always providing an environment where reading
was highly valued." Promoting that love has been one way Whitney
likes to spend her extracurricular time at IC. "I'm part of LEARN,
an IC program that promotes literacy. I volunteer with the Family
Reading Partnership, which encourages families to read with their
children." Whitney thrives on purposeful activity: "I'm also a
member of the Ski Club and a student manager in the Campus Center
and activities office." In February she participated in the IC
Leadership Weekend, a student retreat in Syracuse. When she's
not studying, skiing, volunteering, or working, she looks for
a cappella concerts and theater productions on and off campus.
If she can do more, she may stretch for an English minor!
Photo by Elizabeth Lawson
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