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More Than I Imagined

Seniors reflect on their time at Augustana

Every spring faculty are asked to nominate a senior who has taken advantage of the opportunities Augustana offers in academics, research, study away, athletics, the arts and more.

The seniors answer a series of questions to describe their transformative Augustana experience and show what can happen in four years.

Simply choose the grad year and area of study you're interested in to read their reflections!

Daniel Carr
More Than I Imagined Daniel Carr
“Coming out of high school, Augustana stood out as the best academic and athletic fit for me.”
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Stephanie Carreno
More Than I Imagined Stephanie Carreno
“It was truly an honor being able to represent the Latinx student body on and off campus.”
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Ayradi Catron
More Than I Imagined Ayradi Catron
“I am applying to law schools, and I know that I have the experiences and skills necessary to succeed at that level.”
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Casey Cromp
More Than I Imagined Casey Cromp
“I was so afraid I would just be a number to all of my teachers, but that could not be farther from the truth.”
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Carly Davis
More Than I Imagined Carly Davis
“I loved the first art class I took my first semester with Peter Xiao, and it swapped places with Spanish and became my second major.”
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Nadia DeCastris
More Than I Imagined  Nadia DeCastris
“I will greatly miss the overwhelming love people have for our campus community.”
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Lindsey Edwards
More Than I Imagined Lindsey Edwards
“The Texas Medical Center Student Research Internship Program was a life-changing experience.”
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Sarah Elrod
More Than I Imagined Sarah Elrod
“I knew I wanted a small college that valued both education and music, and Augustana was exactly that!”
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Mary Emory
More Than I Imagined Mary Emory
“Augustana makes you want to strive to be the best version of yourself each day.”
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Molly Fank
More Than I Imagined Molly Fank
“I chose Augustana because of the community I felt on campus when I would visit.”
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Gwendolyn Flannery
More Than I Imagined Gwendolyn Flannery
“Augustana goes above and beyond general student support, and I felt that from the moment I stepped on campus.”
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Zach Gooding
More Than I Imagined Zach Gooding
“I chose to attend Augustana because I was impressed with its academic reputation ... and it allowed me to live out my dream of playing college baseball.”
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Ben Grafe
More Than I Imagined Ben Grafe
“My advisor Dr. Meg Kunde has been a guiding voice for me throughout my whole time at Augustana, pushing me beyond what I thought I could achieve in the classroom.”
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Rachel Heikkinen
More Than I Imagined Rachel Heikkinen
“I was surprised by how easy it was to make friends.”
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Peyton Heisch
More Than I Imagined Peyton Heisch
“My peak experience was doing student research over the summer through the Upper Mississippi Center.”
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Paul Huber
More Than I Imagined Paul Huber
“The education department and my advisor Dr. Scarlett have pushed me to be the best version of myself.”
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Titus Jilderda
More Than I Imagined Titus Jilderda
“It didn’t take me long to realize I loved it here!”
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Maja Johnson
More Than I Imagined Maja Johnson
“I especially want to thank Dr. Safstrom and Dr. Henry in Scandinavian studies and Dr. Ellis and Dr. Leech in history for pushing me to be a better student and aim for my goals beyond Augustana.”
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Abby Johnson
More Than I Imagined Abigail Johnson
“Dr. Taddy Kalas' classes have motivated me to always work hard and have given me confidence in my abilities.”
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Isabelle Jordan
More Than I Imagined Isabelle Jordan
“I would be nowhere without the time and energy my professors put into my education.”
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Kylie Jozwik
More Than I Imagined Kylie Jozwik
“I chose Augustana because it was the perfect distance from home, had a good biology program and was affordable.”
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Evan Juarez
More Than I Imagined Evan Juarez
“The small classroom sizes and experienced teachers provide an incredible learning environment.”
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Abdul Kamara
More Than I Imagined Abdul Kamara
“My peak experience was discovering and falling in love with GIS [Geographic Information Science].”
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Gareth Kent
More Than I Imagined Gareth Kent
“My perspective has changed and broadened, more than I could have ever anticipated.”
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