Vassar College '20

13 Years at CSG

Laying the foundation for success

You will never meet a CSG student who has never taken a risk. It is simply impossible to spend twelve, six, or even one year on campus without stepping outside your comfort zone. CSG is a transformative experience. Being constantly surrounded and encouraged by such intelligent women, I learned how to utilize the quadratic formula, as well as tackle the issues of today’s society with unfailing strength and grace. Every class is rich with insightful lectures and discussions among students and faculty who wholeheartedly care about our academic work, well-being, and life outside the classroom. CSG also taught me the importance of bonding, rather than competing, with women. We celebrate and encourage each other's unique talents and skills because we realize that strength lies in being united, not at each other's throats. By empowering one another, our confidence and power flourish. No other place fosters this pivotal principle better than CSG.

Beyond the Classroom

While at CSG, I have made indelible memories, relationships, and experiences through activities inside and outside the classroom. I ran Varsity Cross-Country, participated in Track & Field, and discovered the great value of challenges, leadership, and tenacity. During my junior year, I became involved with CSG’s fall production, expanding my love for theatre both on stage and behind the scenes. I served as a box office member and comic actress, and was inducted into the International Thespian Society. As a member of the Scholarship Walk Committee, I helped to plan and execute several components of the important fundraiser, which was created in 1971 as a school-wide walk to raise financial aid for current and future CSG students. Still, my favorite activity was singing with The Grace Notes, CSG’s select vocal ensemble. Over three years as a Soprano II and Alto I, I had the opportunity to travel to Chicago, Nashville, and New York City, participating in concerts and competing with an eclectic repertoire.

Finding a College Home

At the beginning of my college search, I didn’t know where I wanted to go school, what size school I preferred, or the difference between a college and a university. Thankfully, the CSG College Counseling Office provides weekly junior and senior college counseling classes, which answer all of these questions, and more, in detail. As I began to understand the logistics of the college search, I realized not only that I wanted to attend a liberal arts college due to my wide range of interests, but also that I valued CSG’s small and close-knit community. I only visited four colleges and, out of those four, Vassar College was the only campus that felt like home. One month later, I returned to CSG, poured my heart out to the College Counseling Office about this overwhelmingly personal connection I felt with Vassar, and received the utmost support and encouragement. My college counselor assisted me with the entire application process and, on multiple occasions, went out of her way to ensure that I prepared and presented myself as a premier applicant. I was admitted Early Decision in December of my senior year! Currently, I am eagerly awaiting move-in day, and can only buzz with excitement for the warm and ebullient community I will be joining soon.

Future Plans

I am not sure which major and/or minor I will choose at Vassar, but CSG taught me to never limit myself, so I feel comfortable with entering college undecided. However, with plans to pursue my master’s degree in Public Health, I will most likely declare a science major with a language minor. I would like to ultimately work in a profession that allows me to research the causes, effects, and prevention of diseases in the United States and abroad.

major Accomplishments

At CSG, I was honored to be awarded the Citizenship, Connecticut College Book, and Ruth Heer Mann Faculty Awards. During spring of my junior year, I learned that I had been selected as one of the eighty-one Joyce Ivy Foundation Summer Scholars and would spend the following summer participating in a month-long program at Barnard College. I will be eternally indebted to CSG’s College Counseling Office for introducing me to this program, for it changed my life and left a profound effect on my college search. I participated in two, intensive four-week courses, spending Wednesday of each week visiting a professional or community service organization, or attending an on-campus seminar. This remarkable experience offered a perfect sample of college life, while augmenting standards of female independence and success that were part of my everyday experience at CSG. In all my classes, I felt absolutely comfortable sharing my views, asking questions, and delivering presentations with a confidence and ease I can only attribute to my experiences in CSG’s classrooms.