Student Perspectives

Lauren Hearit

Lauren's experiences as an intern in Lansing for a governmental affairs law firm could be considered merely the capstone of her college involvement in public policy. As a prior senator aboard the Western Student Association and a member of the winning team from WMU in the 2010 iOMe Challenge competition, she offers both advice and insight here from her latest achievement for students also looking to make that next big leap forward in their major.

Emily Gadzinski

A current sophomore at WMU, Emily's focus in environmental studies and fine art has already had several opportunities to grow and impact those around her. She donated time this past summer as an outreach coordinator, with tasks including the creation of promotional flyers for a city's local arts festival. On campus, she is an active member of Outspoken, furthering her efforts to better the lives of her peers as she works on her own academic success.

Melissa Schwandt

Melissa graduated from Western in the summer of 2011 with a degree in public relations, shortly before spending time as a media relations/crisis communication intern in Atlanta, Georgia. Melissa served as executive vice president for the Sigma Kappa sorority prior to graduation, as well as president of the Order of Omega on WMU's campus. 

Mitch Brownell

A sophomore from Vicksburg, Mississippi, Mitch is perhaps better known as one of the founders of the wildly popular WMU Squirrel Club. Previously a member of the student ambassador office, Mitch currently majors in mechanical engineering. He recently finished an internship with Humphrey Products of Kalamazoo, a result of the career fair held reguarly within the college.

Sarah Fox

Sarah is a current junior at WMU pursuing a degree in American public policy and Spanish amidst her other academic activities. In her interview, Sarah reflects on her recent internship with Margaret O'Brien of state house district 61, and how the real-world experience helped her get a leg up over her peers in obtaining a more professional position down the road.

Evan White

Evan is a biomedical sciences major who has had the exciting opportunity of teaching as well as being taught. On the one hand, he was part of WMU's tropical biology in Belize course offered during summer II, where he and several students were given the chance to visit untamed jungles and reefs inaccessible to the average public in order to study live cultures in the field. On the other hand, he has worked directly with students through teaching a human anatomy biology course, which he describes in further detail in his interview.

Stanley Hays

A recent graduate of Western Michigan University's aviation science and administration program, Stanley had the opportunity to work with Interactive Intelligence Inc. before finishing his degree.