Damian GarciaMeet junior Damian Garcia (History and French double major)

“My biggest surprise about Whittier College was how small some of the courses are. I didn’t expect to have a class with only four students, including me. Another surprising thing to me was just how accessible and available the professors are in my experience.”

What resources are you receiving from Whittier to help make your college education affordable?

I’m receiving the John Greenleaf Whittier Scholarship as well as funds from the College’s participation in the RaiseMe scholarships. Both influenced my choice to attend Whittier by making it financially possible. Whittier also gave me credit for my AP coursework in high school and I was able to start college as a sophomore.

You were selected to participate in the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship, a program dedicated to increasing faculty diversity in higher education. How are you benefiting from this experience?

Being a part of the Mellon Mays Fellowship means being a part of the future of academia. My research is combining my majors and my Spanish heritage to look at how Louisiana state history was influenced by the French, Spanish, and Americans. It also allows me to put my 6 years of French studies into practice.

I receive stipends throughout the year, and further funding is available if I need to travel for my research. It has influenced my future plans by giving me a taste of graduate research, which will help me transition more easily into graduate school, the next step in achieving my goal of becoming a history professor.

Why should a prospective student consider Whittier College?

Because of its small class sizes. This allows for more time to connect with professors, which in my experience has opened plenty of opportunities. For instance, I was approached by Professor Deborah Norden (political science) to lead a midterm study session alongside another student for her Comparative Politics course since she could not be present that day. The small class size has also meant that I always received timely feedback and responses from my professors.