I can safely say that the Middlebury experience is something that has affected my life immensely. Not only have I been challenged academically, but also spiritually, morally and athletically. Middlebury has encouraged me to think "outside the box." I came to Middlebury with a very narrow view of the world, but upon entering the school grounds I was exposed to a microcosm of the "true" world. In our community, blacks coexist with whites, people of the Jewish faith interact openly with individuals from the Islamic and Christian faiths, etc. I have learned that to affirm my own beliefs it is necessary to understand and respect another person's belief system.
In my time at Middlebury I have captained the track and field team, been a part of the national championship rugby club and have contributed many services to the Middlebury community through various school programs. I have also managed to affirm and maintain my love for the sciences by being a molecular biology and biochemistry major. In addition, Middlebury's commitment to the liberal arts encouraged me to widen my interests, enabling me to take dance, French, religion, political science and history classes, all of which expanded my view of the world in unique ways. My personal experiences at Middlebury are a testament to the school's goal to help mold students in all aspects of life. That said, the Middlebury experience is not something that seeks you out, but something to be sought out. I realized early in my college career that if I remained passive and did not step out of my comfort zone, I would miss out on something great.
It has been a joy seeing my peers become pioneers by bringing Relay for Life to Middlebury, developing close ties with the John W. Graham Emergency Shelter, giving birth to environmental movements, such as the initiative for the College to become carbon neutral, and raising funds for AIDS orphans in Romania, just to mention a few. Middlebury's passion is to send out innovators and leaders into the world. I have embraced this mission by challenging myself to become more proactive in my community and maintaining an open mind in all things. In life, we see the suffering and societal injustices inflicted on people around the world but remain passive about confronting and attacking the structures permitting these injustices. The message today to present and future Panthers is to use Middlebury as a platform to make a dent in combating the injustices in the world.
As I move on to pursue a doctorate in cell and molecular biology, I know that I will have "blue Panther blood" flowing in my veins for life. The tremendous academic and athletic facilities at Middlebury provided me with the necessary tools to succeed to the highest of my abilities. Every morning I wake up I remember the beauty of the Green Mountains that surrounded me daily. Although those of us who converged for four years at Middlebury come from many different backgrounds, one thing will always remain true: that the green hills of Middlebury are our common denominator, the potter that molded us and our home.