Mahlet Getachew, senior

From: Lake Oswego, Oregon

Exploring: East Asian Studies

From big to small: I spent my first semester of college at a humongous university where everyone was a number. Transferring to Lewis & Clark was the best move I could have made. The experience at Lewis & Clark is much more personal. I get individual attention from my teachers and feel like I can talk to anyone on the faculty or administration.

From local to global: One of the things that drew me to Lewis & Clark was the opportunity to go overseas. My original plan was to go back to Kenya, where I spent the first few years of my life, but I ended up going to China instead, and then Tibet, and I was hooked. I’m hoping to go to China again, and I’m applying to study at Tibet University to improve my language skills. After that I’ll go to grad school, and then I hope to work in Asian affairs with the U.S. Department of State.

From now to the future: Lewis & Clark’s programs for life after college are very strong. The Center for Service and Work helped me develop my resume and decide what I really want to do. But it’s not all about what you’re going to do when you’re done; it’s also about what you’re doing right now. The air around campus is geared toward day-to-day learning, with conferences and symposia going on all the time. My advice: get involved, right away.

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