In My Humble Opinion
We’ve expanded the conversation in our IMHO article by inviting more Bearcats to share their opinions. Here, Willamette students and alumni on LinkedIn weigh in with advice for this year’s incoming class. “Get involved! Volunteer, find a campus job, ask staff members questions. The more visible and personable you are, the more opportunities arise — not just in college, but in life as well. But be careful not to overextend yourself into too many things (as most Willamette students do). Quickly assess whether you are doing something for your own enjoyment or not.” — Benny Kuo MBA’17 “Unless you are near death, go to class. Show up 100 percent every single day.” — Stephanie Davidson ’08 “Get to know your professors! Not only will this come in handy for letters of recommendation, some babysitting or house-sitting side gigs, and a better overall class experience, but you may make some good friends and life coaches along the way. Willamette has some rad professors.” — Victoria Binning ’14
“Take advantage of the open door policies of many professors at Willamette. Professors will know your name and care about your success. They chose to teach at Willamette because of their desire to interact with students, mentor them and show them how to better the world with the knowledge they are gaining.” — Cybelle Tabilas ’15 “Be kind, be humble, speak less and listen more. Be curious and work hard. You’ll be alright.” — Tejeswara Reddy ’12 “Network. Meet everyone you can. Find a balance between good grades and learning new things/meeting new people. Employers will care more about your experiences, as that’s what sets you apart.” — Tania Weets MBA’13 “Evolve. The most transformative years happen in college. New people. New ideas. New experiences. You will have boundless opportunities to expand your understanding of you. Don’t let these opportunities pass you by. Grow, stretch and dream. Your future self will thank you.” —Anthony Tham MBA’13 “Appreciate and soak up every high and low moment, be spontaneous with your friends and plans, and work hard. But don’t worry about the future too much — things all fall into place.” —Charlotte McGeever ’16 “Get to know American Studies Program (ASP) students and other international students! Intercultural communication is crucial to becoming a global citizen in today’s world.” — Rachel Dierken ’13
“Break some rules, but always keep your friends safe. Consider your positions of privilege and use them to call out even subtle and coded racism, classism, misogyny, transmisogyny and ableism.” — Christine Sandall ’15 “Learn as much about as much as you can. Go to every convocation, guest lecturer, play and musical performance you can. The learning never gets better than when you’re, well, learning.” — Jeffrey Himstreet ’89, JD’93 54
FALL 2016
“Put down your phone, engage your professors and your colleagues, read the classics and try hard enough that you fail at least once.” — Daniel Beacham ’92
What do you wish you’d known when you started at Willamette? Email magazine@willamette.edu.