Nicholas Palmeri

Major:	Biology
Hometown:	Denver, Colorado
Favorites:	Rowing at Lake Dunmore at sunrise
One thing I am:	Language table groupie

I went to a small, private school in Denver. There were only 80 people in my graduating class, so Middlebury is a lot bigger than I was used to. When I first arrived, it was difficult for me to meet people, and though I studied hard, I wasn’t really happy.

Although I had focused on academics, I found that Middlebury had a lot more to offer. That winter, I joined the crew team and ended up making connections with kids from all over the world. I really like that aspect of the team. There’s a kid from Germany, one from Canada, my good friend from Wyoming, and my best friend from Turkey. We’ve really bonded.

Once I finally took advantage of the clubs and groups on campus, it was a lot easier to meet people and make friends, even if I thought we had little in common. This summer, I stayed at my friend’s house, in Turkey. That’s the best thing about Middlebury—the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life.