What in the world?

What in the world do you want to do with your life?

At Lewis & Clark, students are doing a lot—and they go on to do a lot more. Virtually any combination of coursework is possible, including majors and minors in the natural sciences, social sciences, or arts and humanities, as well as student-designed majors.

Students at Lewis & Clark also have numerous opportunities to collaborate with faculty members on research, to participate in internships on and off campus, to volunteer for community service projects, and to gain meaningful experience in many forums besides the classroom.

Renaissance scholars

Life hasn’t been the same for senior Michael Graham since he read an article about Romeo Dallaire, the commander of the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission to Rwanda during the 1994 genocide. Inspired by Dallaire’s courage, Michael traveled to Rwanda and spent three months filming a documentary that will tell the story of the survivors a decade after the genocide. Meet Michael Graham.

In her English classes, Stasia Honnold discovered a passion for modernism and for Virginia Woolf, "the quintessential modernist feminist author." Last year, Stasia won a $2,000 Dixon Award through the English department, which she used to attend the International Virginia Woolf Conference in London. Meet Stasia Honnold.

As a double major in physics and biology, Simon Sponberg knew he wanted the close faculty contact and access to equipment that a liberal arts college would allow. Simon, now a senior, has done research with four different professors. Meet Simon Sponberg.

One class, one teacher, one book -- sometimes that's all it takes for your future to click into place. Dayna Kirk, a sociology/anthropology major and chemistry minor from Scottsdale, Arizona, entered Lewis & Clark with a general interest in diseases related to poverty. Once she found her focus, she says, "things just started to fall into place." Meet Dayna Kirk.

Hitting the books

"In our increasingly digital era, the Watzek Library offers a place to explore cyberspace," says library director Jim Kopp, "but it also provides a place to study, read a book, and seek assistance and support from knowledgeable staff members." Explore Watzek Library.

Connecting the dots

“Early on, give yourself time to explore your options,” advises Jill DeCoursey, a sophomore from Oak Park, Illinois, “because it’s likely that you’ll change your mind.” Jill entered Lewis & Clark planning to major in physics but became captivated by cave art. She changed her major to art with a concentration in art history, but continues to explore other interests.

To keep the left side of her brain limber, she is pursuing a minor in math. As an outlet for her creative side, she paints. Several of her works were recently on display as part of an exhibit she helped curate for the College’s annual Gender Symposium. And to fulfill her passion for sustain-able living, she works with SEED (Students Engaged in Eco-Defense). Last year, she was one of three SEED members who represented Lewis & Clark at a climate-change convention at Harvard University.

While she is not rushing to connect the dots between all of her interests, she sees some possibilities. “Right now, I want to be an architect,” says Jill, “but working in a museum would be cool, too. I know that once I make a decision and go for it, Lewis & Clark will support me all the way.”