Jennifer Anderson

Pronouns

she/her

Degree and Class Year

BA ’19

Hometown

Kailua Kona, Hawai‘i

Major

Art History, Religious Studies (double)

Minor

French Studies

Extracurriculars

Leading to Engage All Pioneers (LEAP) Mentorship Program, Coalition for English Education and Social Advocacy (CEESA), Mixed LC, and LC Food Pantry

Overseas study

Paris, France

What three words would you use to describe L&C?

Birkenstock, Bon Coffee, Shield Bugs

What’s been your favorite class so far? How did it expand your knowledge?

I’ve had so many! But if I had to choose a class outside of the art department, it would be both Calculus I and II with Assistant Professor Sweta Suryanarayan. She is down to earth and extremely passionate about her areas of expertise. I did not enjoy taking calculus during high school, but having Sweta as a professor was so fulfilling that I actually miss math because of her.

How did you choose your overseas program? What did your overseas study add to your L&C experience so far? 

I chose the Paris program because it is a language-intensive program, so all of my classes were in French. I only started to learn French in college, so it was a big adjustment to me in terms of becoming comfortable speaking the language with other native speakers and in a BIG city. It wasn’t easy though—I feel that we romanticize study abroad programs so much that the uncomfy-ness of culture shock and feeling out of place in a different country isn’t addressed as much. I don’t regret my experience in Paris, it is a beautiful city with so much art and history, but I honestly don’t think you need to travel abroad in order to have a full college experience. Yes, go out and see the world and absorb all of the knowledge that you can and challenge yourself, but also remember that there are so many other ways to learn outside of the classroom.

What made you want to come to Lewis & Clark?

The small class sizes, beautiful campus, and most importantly the financial aid package I was offered made it the easiest for me and my family to afford my college education.

What has been your most meaningful extracurricular activity?

Being a part of Inclusion and Multicultural Engagement (IME) has been one of my most meaningful experiences here at L&C. The people that I’ve met and bonded with through IME have supported me in so many ways—through meaningful conversations, laughs, and all of the lollipop moments in between. My involvement with LEAP and Mixed LC not only challenged my leadership abilities, but has also helped me grow as a student, as a mentor, and as an individual. As cheesy as it sounds, they are my L&C ohana.

How do you manage stress?

I’m a big fan of coloring books (I have at least 10) and so I sometimes just spend an hour doodling/coloring in a quiet place to get my mind off of things. If I’m overwhelmed and I don’t feel that I can take a coloring book break, I also find it useful to do my studying off campus (or at least not in the Watzek Library or my room) by going to a park, a coffee shop, or the Boley Law Library.