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| Welcome to Wesleyan Weekend |
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 Jessica Rowell’s future plans are big. She is studying epidemiology at Emory University while working in the public health capital of the world. After she completes her graduate coursework and earns a Master’s of Science in Public Health in Epidemiology, she would like to work for the CDC or CARE. Once equipped with more experience in her field, she plans to improve healthcare access in rural areas of developing countries.
Right now she has her eye on Guatemala. Traveling with a Wesleyan study abroad program, she visited the country and saw many needed improvements. She has a deep appreciation for the strength and determination of the Mayan people, and she hopes to use what she learned at Wesleyan to return there and to set up health clinics in the smaller towns. These enormous ambitions despite her claim that just four years ago, when she arrived on the Wesleyan campus, she was not confident.
“The small campus size brought out a personality in me that even I didn’t know before I came to Wesleyan! I found my voice both in the classroom and in the community, and found the courage to take risks I never would have taken at a large school. I wasn’t afraid to raise my hand in class, and in doing so often I found that I had some pretty good answers!”
Jessica’s Wesleyan experience was much like the experiences of many other women. Instead of lost in a crowd of students, she and her professors worked hand-in-hand as education partners. For this biology/psychology double major, that became an invaluable tool. Soon she discovered career possibilities, found mentors, and learned about herself.
“Professors at Wesleyan provide excellent guidance and encouragement for young women who want to pursue graduate education,” said Jessica. “While I certainly have the ability to compete with any man in the sciences, I may not have had the same opportunity to freely develop my skills at a co-educational school.”
For Jessica, attending classes and participating in research with other female students and having four strong female faculty role models in biology and psychology gave her more confidence in her abilities. While earning her undergraduate degree, she had the opportunity to work on stem cell research, perform brain surgery on rats, research serial pattern learning in rats and humans, intern at a school for behaviorally and mentally disordered children, present her research at a national psychology conference, attend dozens of leadership conferences, and teach science classes to public middle school students.
“I have a variety of interests, so a liberal arts education was the perfect choice for me. If you choose to earn your bachelor’s degree at Wesleyan – no matter what your major choice and future career goals are -- you can succeed beyond your expectations,” said Jessica. “And if you want to dedicate your life to making a difference in the world, there’s no better place to get started than here.” |
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