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Elaine Drigotas '17, Dickinson College

"Bryn Mawr has been my home-away-from-home for 13 years. I will miss the intense love of learning, hard conversations and female empowerment the most. Bryn Mawr creates a mentality in its students that learning for the sake of creating and growing is just as important as the grades we receive. It also teaches that having the hard and at times uncomfortable conversations is necessary for growth."
Which teacher class at Bryn Mawr has been the most influential?

My AP Comparative Government class combined the history and development of different types of government with discussions of current events. As a result, the class delved into the reasoning behind political turmoil from a legislative, judicial, executive and historical perspective, which allowed me to look at politics and government simultaneously from both a wider and more detailed view.

What are you looking forward to the most about college?

I am looking forward to being able to focus more deeply and intensely on the subjects that interest me the most. I am very excited to learn more about education and psychology, especially in regards to developmental psychology.

What made you choose Dickinson?

I had never even thought about attending Dickinson until my college counselor mentioned it, so I was pretty wary at first. But after visiting the beautiful campus and learning that they had both an amazing study abroad program and the major and minor I wish to study, it was a very quick and easy decision.

If you could create one new club or activity that Bryn Mawr has never had, what would it be and why?

I would create a program or club that allows Bryn Mawr students to assist and work with disabled children. Over the past summer, and for my senior project, I worked at Kennedy Krieger, a Johns Hopkins affiliate that specializes in assisting children with mental and physical disabilities. This experience led me to a field of work that I am passionately pursuing, and I can only imagine just how many other girls would find themselves interested in this if they were given the opportunity.

What was the most enjoyable book you had to read for school this year?

Though “enjoyable” may not be the operative word in this case, I found the book “Here Lies Jim Crow: Civil Rights in Maryland,” by Fraser Smith, a very interesting and eye-opening read. It was assigned in my Baltimore Studies class and illuminated the different forms of racial discrimination created in Maryland, some of which remain prevalent today.

Which subject do you think prepares you most for life after high school?

I think that English class prepares you most for life after high school. So often in class we have had debates over topics that seldom have a single right answer, which leads to a conversation that can change someone’s opinion or give them a different perspective. I believe much of the real world is like this, as so many grey areas are a point of conversation, and to know how to defend your own opinion while staying open to the opinions of others is a crucial life skill.

If you could create one mandatory course for future seniors, what would it be?

I think that a course on government should be mandatory for all seniors. So many of us have wanted to be involved in change and progress in regards to our federal and local governments this year, without knowing the intricacies and different processes that requires. In order to truly become involved, it is crucial that students know how their systems of government work.
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