“I would tell future students to make a fool of themselves and have fun. I have made so many mistakes and made a fool of myself so many times, and each and every time I've made a friend or at least shared a few awkward laughs with a friendly face. College goes by faster than you think, so lose some sleep, but make it to class, make friends with people you never thought you would, learn a lot and cherish every experience you have at Witt because before you know it, you'll be reminiscing and thinking about how you have changed and grown as a person while offering your parting words to the next set of first-year students.” – Taylar Pompey’12
Being challenged to rethink a citizen’s role within a regime sparked a greater understanding of the liberal arts for Taylar Pompey.
“Taking American political thought with Dr. Heather Wright definitely led me to political science,” Pompey says. “I think I actually declared without taking another political science course. The material and the way Dr. Wright forced me to think about democratic regimes and the citizen's place within that regime was unlike any other class I'd had before college. I can definitely say that class and the classes I've had like it since then are part of the reason I love the liberal arts. I chose my sociology major for pretty much the same reason.”
From there, Pompey further embraced Wittenberg’s active, engaged learning environment by taking on campus leadership roles, including serving on Student Senate, the governing body for the student experience.
“I've loved senate the past four years, and being president this past year was such an honor,” Pompey says. “What I really enjoyed and what I would say I am most proud of about senate is our camaraderie. The senate office has seen so much laughter, tears and, of course, the occasional screams of frustration, but we always got it together and worked out whatever problems occurred regarding a particular issue. I really admire everyone that I worked with on senate and [each member’s] unwavering beliefs and passion.”
With graduation just days away, Pompey is looking ahead to her next chapter, which she hopes will include graduate studies at the University of Toronto. Her first stop will be Chicago, however.
Looking back, Pompey cannot imagine a better college experience than the one she had at Wittenberg.
“The most inspiring thing about Wittenberg has been hearing how much my friends, who go to other schools, wish they had the community we have here. They can hear the passion and the excitement Wittenberg students have just through meeting my college friends and hearing me talk about Wittenberg,” Pompey says.
“The sense of responsibility that students have for this community and its well-being is amazing. The fact that people who do not attend Wittenberg can see our community and how much we care about Wittenberg even when we are physically far from campus inspires me. Wittenberg sends you into the world with both a degree and an understanding and appreciation of our civic responsibility to our local and global communities.”
Â
Written By: Karen Gerboth
Photo By: Erin Pence
