College Raptor Rates K a Hidden Gem

A web-based organization dedicated to helping students and families find their best-fit institution of higher education, has chosen Kalamazoo College for two honors that identify the school as an excellent destination for well-rounded experiences.

College Raptor says K is one of 15 small schools to qualify as a Hidden Gem in the Great Lakes region of Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Illinois and Indiana. In addition, K is among 25 schools nationwide named a Division III Hidden Gem in athletics.

To qualify overall as a Hidden Gem, an institution must receive fewer than 5,000 applications per year, have fewer than 7,000 undergraduate students, offer at least five unique majors and maintain an acceptance rate of at least 10%. The selection recognizes K as one of the best colleges in the country based on a combination of factors including retention rates, graduation rates, student-to-faculty ratio, endowment per student, selectivity and other key metrics as reported through the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), according to the College Raptor website.

Kalamazoo College sign
College Raptor says Kalamazoo College is one of 15 small schools to qualify as a Hidden Gem in the Great Lakes. Plus, K is among 25 nationwide named a Division III athletics Hidden Gem.

As a Division III Hidden Gem, College Raptor also says K offers great opportunities for student-athletes who want a combined athletic and academic college experience, making the College a standout among the 442 schools College Raptor examined.

“For students seeking the enriching experience of a smaller college with exceptional programs, institutions like K emerge as prime options, and we are honored to spotlight them with the recognition they genuinely deserve,” College Raptor CEO William Staib said.

“A liberal arts model at a small college provides the most thorough education because it teaches students a variety of skillsets that employers desire through personal attention from faculty and staff along with a flexible curriculum and enriching co-curricular activities,” Dean of Admission Suzanne Lepley said. “We love it when other organizations confirm what a gem we are.”

‘Best 389 Colleges’ Book Endorses K

The Princeton Review is placing Kalamazoo College among the top 15 percent of U.S. higher-education institutions for degree-seeking undergraduates by featuring K in the 2024 version of its annual guide, The Best 389 Colleges

In the book, the education services company recommends colleges from the nation’s 2,600 four-year institutions based on data it collects from administrators about their academic offerings, and surveys of students who rate and report on their experiences.  

Students lauded K through surveys as a place where they develop personal relationships with their peers and faculty at a campus run by and for the students. In addition, students can quickly find their niche upon arriving thanks to a small-school environment where “everyone is always engaged in some kind of work they truly care about,” the book says. 

The Best 389 Colleges doesn’t provide individual rankings for the schools featured. However, K earned an additional mention in the guide as the No. 16 school on a list of the Top 20 Private Colleges for Making an Impact. This means K students said that their student-government opportunities, the College’s sustainability efforts and K’s on-campus engagement are providing them with opportunities to make a difference in their community. 

“We salute Kalamazoo College for its outstanding academics and its many other impressive offerings,” said Rob Franek, the Princeton Review’s editor-in-chief and lead author of The Best 389 Colleges. “We’re delighted to recommend it as an ideal choice for students searching for their ‘best-fit’ college.” 

The printed publication is now available through the Penguin Random House website. K’s profile is available for free online along with the list of the 389 top schools

An art professor guides a student by pointing at her project best 389 colleges
According to the 2024 edition of “The Best 389 Colleges” from the Princeton Review, students gave Kalamazoo College high marks for its open curriculum. The open curriculum means “students have more time to explore exactly what they want to learn, rather than being required to take classes in which they have no interest,” the book says.

‘Fiske Guide to Colleges’ Features K

Kalamazoo College has been a fixture in the Fiske Guide to Colleges over the years and that will continue in 2024. The global resource that profiles more than 300 of what it calls the best and most interesting colleges in the U.S., Canada and the UK, says K “opens up the world to its students—literally,” in the book’s 40th edition. 

“Kalamazoo College (also known as K) may be a small school in America’s heartland, but it pays to send the majority of students abroad during their four years, making it a launching pad to the world,” the latest guide says. “In addition to international education, the school’s K-Plan emphasizes teaching, internships and independent, faculty-guided research.” 

From an academic standpoint, the book notes that K has exceptional programs in the natural sciences with other strengths including international and area studies, community and global health, and critical ethnic studies. Popular majors include biology, chemistry, psychology and business. In addition, faculty members are rated highly for their enthusiasm and accessibility. 

But don’t forget about the quality of student life on campus. 

“K’s campus is always buzzing with social activities like movies, concerts, speakers and other events,” the book notes. “Students look forward to the Monte Carlo casino night, homecoming and the Day of Gracious Living, a spring day where, without prior warning, classes are canceled and students can choose to head to the beach, work on volunteer projects or relax on campus.” 

The Fiske Guide to Colleges, compiled by former New York Times Education Editor Edward B. Fiske, is available now

Fiske Guide to Colleges
Kalamazoo College is among more than 300 institutions of higher education in the U.S., Canada and the UK featured in the 40th edition of the “Fiske Guide to Colleges.”

Senior Awards Ceremony Honors Students’ Achievements

Congratulations to the following Kalamazoo College students who received awards during the 2023 Senior Awards Ceremony on Saturday, June 10, at Stetson Chapel. The awards include all academic divisions, prestigious scholarships and special non-departmental awards.

George Acker Award

  • Ryan Hanifan

The American Chemical Society
Certified Degree in Chemistry

  • Marissa Dolorfino
  • Carter Eisenbach
  • Caelan Frazier
  • Lena Thompson Klemm
  • Dillon Lee
  • Chloe Lucci
  • Crystal Danielle Mendoza
  • Ezekiel Mulder
  • Gunzaya Gunzi Otgonjargal
  • Abby Lyn Rawlings
  • Suja Thakali
  • MiaFlora Tucci

Hornet Athletic Association Award

  • Harrison Poeszat

Austria U.S. Teaching Assistantship

  • Vincent DeSanto
  • Benjamin Flotemersch
  • Sean Gates

James Bird Balch Prize in American History

  • Meaghan K. Kelly

Lillian Pringle Baldauf Prize in Music

  • Koshiro Kuroda

H. Lewis Batts Prize

  • Rose Hannan
  • Onora Divine Lancaster
  • Olivia Louise Smith
  • Alex Stolberg

E. Bruce Baxter Memorial Award

  • Thomas Lichtenberg

Gordon Beaumont Memorial Award

  • Litzy Bahena
  • Katia Duoibes

Beeler Senior Projects Abroad Fellows

  • Maeve Francesca Crothers
  • Brianna DuBose
  • Garrett Hanson
  • Yamilee Hernandez
  • Daniel Eric Jordan
  • Bella Kirchgessner
  • Rachel Christine Kramer
  • Koshiro Kuroda
  • Fiona Raycraft O’Rielly
  • Egan Vieira

Larry Bell Scholar

  • Eleanor S. Carr
  • Bella Kirchgessner

The Biology in Liberal Arts Prize

  • Zoe Elizabeth Reyes

Marshall Hallock Brenner Prize

  • Emma Sidor

Henry and Inez Brown Award

  • Violet Crampton

Clara H. Buckley Prize for Excellence in Latin

  • Garrett Hanson
  • Katelyn Williams

Mary Long Burch Award

  • Lucy Hart

Robert Bzdyl Prize in Marine Biology

  • Alex Stolberg

Annual Undergraduate Award
in Analytical Chemistry

  • Caelan Frazier

Annual Undergraduate Award
in Inorganic Chemistry

  • Shay Brown

Annual Undergraduate Award
in Organic Chemistry

  • Lucy Hart
  • Crystal Danielle Mendoza

Annual Undergraduate Award
in Physical Chemistry

  • Oliver Tye

Outstanding Chemistry Student
from Kalamazoo College

  • Carter Eisenbach
  • MiaFlora Tucci

Lilia Chen Award in Art

  • Hao Jiang

Ruth Scott Chenery Award

  • Sedona Coleman

Chinese Outstanding Achievement Award

  • Violet Crampton
  • Zoe Claire Chunqi Gurney
  • Clarice Ray
  • Claire Tallio

Provost’s Prize in Classics

  • Isabelle Ragan
  • Isabel Quinn Schantz

Collins Fellow

  • Rachel Christine Kramer

Provost’s Prize in Computer Science

  • Aleksandr Molchagin

H. P. and Genevieve Connable Scholarship

  • Hanis Sommerville

Cooper Award in Fine Arts

  • Milan Levy

C.W. “Opie” Davis Award

  • Samuel Ankley

Diebold Scholar Award

  • Natalie Call
  • Rose Hannan
  • Joergen Klakulak
  • Alex Stolberg
  • Nathaniel E. Zona

Marion H. Dunsmore Memorial Prize
in Religion

  • Isabelle Ragan

George Eaton Errington Prize

  • Lingrui Xiang

Provost’s Prize in Economics

  • Zoe Claire Chunqi Gurney
  • Sam Moss

Alliance Francaise Prize in French

  • Shanon Brown
  • Kanase Matsuzaki

French Government Teaching Assistantships

  • Annika Canavero
  • Olivia Grace Fairbank

Joe Fugate Senior German Award

  • Vincent DeSanto

Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship

  • Samuel Kendrick, Uzbekistan
  • Kanase Matsuzaki, Jordan

Fulbright Study Research Award

  • Natalie Call, Denmark

Departmental Prize in Greek

  • Garrett Hanson

Xarifa Greenquist Memorial
Psychology Department Award

  • Sedona Coleman

Fred and Sarah Greer Endowed Scholarship/
Lorinda Kay Sanford Memorial

  • Brianna DuBose
  • Mya Jennings
  • Ashani Jewell
  • Jamir McKeller
  • DaShawn Meeks
  • Aija Turner

Griffin Prize

  • Mikayla Dominique Youngman

Guyor Kindness and Compassion Award

  • Denise Martinez
  • Kaleb Sydloski

Charles C. Hall Scholarship

  • Shay Brown

Ham Scholars

  • Thomas Lichtenberg
  • Milagros Robelo

F. W. and Elsie L. Heyl Scholars

  • Samuel Ankley
  • Carter Eisenbach
  • Rachel Christine Kramer
  • Alexis Nesbitt
  • Suja Thakali
  • Elizabeth Grace Wang

The Raymond L. Hightower Award

  • Khalil Shakur Adams
  • Mya Jennings
  • Maya Kanta Bimal Nathwani

Virginia Hinkelman Memorial Award

  • Ryley White

History Department Award

  • Samuel Kendrick

Hodge Prize in Philosophy

  • Vincent DeSanto

John Wesley Hornbeck Prize

  • Eli Edlefson
  • Claire Kvande
  • Elias Wennen

William G. Howard Memorial Prize

  • Claire Tallio

William G. Howard Memorial Prize
in Political Science

  • Riley Thomas Wilson

Japanese National Honor Society, College Chapter

  • Emily Robin Kaneko Dudd
  • Madeline Schroeder
  • William Shaw

Grant W. and Eleanor L. Johnston
History Research Award

  • Sarma Ejups
  • Benjamin Homminga
  • Stefan Nielsen

Kurt Kaufman Fellow

  • Abigail Barnum
  • Caelan Frazier
  • Dillon Lee
  • MiaFlora Tucci
  • Oliver Tye
  • Elizabeth Grace Wang

Richard D. Klein Senior Award
in Psychology

  • Marilu Bueno

Richard D. Klein Senior Impact Award
in Psychology

  • Alexia McColl
  • Ryley White

Knoechel Family Award

  • Samuel Ankley
  • Camille Misra

Irmgard Kowatzki Theatre Award

  • Marilu Bueno
  • Milan Levy

LaPlante Civic Engagement Scholars

  • Lauren Bretzius
  • Shanon Brown
  • Katia Duoibes
  • Ryley White

Tish Loveless Award

  • Renée Torres

Music Department Certificate
of Distinction

  • Abigail Barnum
  • Donovan Burleigh
  • Violet Crampton
  • Sarma Ejups
  • Garrett Hanson
  • Matthew Mueller
  • Erin Murphy
  • Claire Tallio
  • Mikki Wong

National Merit Scholars

  • Claire Kvande
  • Noah Prentice

National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship

  • Mallory Dolorfino
  • Claire Kvande

William E. Praeger Prize in Biology

  • Eleanor S. Carr
  • Hana Samantha Frisch
  • Ian Becks Hurley
  • Ryan Johnson

Robert and Karen Rhoa Prize
in Business

  • Payton Fleming
  • Tristan Fuller
  • Jenna Clare Paterob

Robert and Karen Rhoa Prize for Outstanding SIP

  • Minh D. Dang

Elwood H. and Elizabeth H. Schneider Prize
in English

  • Lauren Sommer Crossman

Senior Leadership Recognition Award

  • Litzy Bahena
  • Violet Crampton
  • Kylah Alexandria Davis
  • Katia Duoibes
  • Jazmyne Fannings
  • Peter Fitzgerald
  • Yoichi Haga
  • Katherine Haywood
  • Bella Kirchgessner
  • Claire Kvande
  • Milan Levy
  • DaShawn Meeks
  • Crystal Danielle Mendoza
  • Aleksandr Molchagin
  • Maheen Naz Mulligan
  • Justin Negrete
  • Stefan Nielsen
  • Gunzaya Gunzi Otgonjargal
  • Alexis Petty
  • Noah Prentice
  • Andrew Puckett
  • Milagros Robelo
  • Alex Stolberg
  • Suja Thakali
  • Chilotam Urama
  • Elizabeth Grace Wang
  • Ryley White
  • Christian Zeitvogel
  • Nathaniel E. Zona

Fan E. Sherwood Memorial Prize

  • Charles DiMagno

Sherwood Prize in Fine Arts

  • Marilu Bueno

Catherine A. Smith Prize in Human Rights

  • Emma Davis-Rodak
  • Skai Williams

Catherine A. Smith Prize
in Women’s Athletics

  • Alexis Petty

Lemuel F. Smith Award

  • Marissa Dolorfino

Cassandra Solis Prize
in Critical Ethnic Studies

  • Angela Ledesma

The Senior Spanish Award

  • Gustavo Eric Gonzalez-Martinez
  • Fiona Raycraft O’Rielly
  • Alexis Damian Valdes

Spanish Government Teaching Assistantship

  • Fiona Raycraft O’Rielly
  • Renée Torres

Eugene P. Stermer Award
in Public Administration

  • John Carlson

Mary Clifford Stetson Prize

  • Angel Ledesma

Dwight and Leola Stocker Prize

  • Violet Crampton
  • Sarah Densham
  • Hannah Durant

Lucinda Hinsdale Stone Prize
in Women’s Studies

  • Elle Waldron

Stowe Scholarship

  • Caelan Frazier

David Strauss Prize in American Studies

  • Stefan Nielsen

Babette Trader Campus Citizenship
and Leadership Award

  • Litzy Bahena
  • Hana Samantha Frisch
  • Gustavo Eric Gonzalez-Martinez
  • Maheen Naz Mulligan
  • Claire Tallio

Charles Tully Design Award

  • Elena Truman

Donald W. VanLiere Prize Psychology
in Coursework

  • Jenna Clare Paterob
  • Emma Sidor

Donald W. VanLiere Prize Psychology
in Research

  • Samantha Boritzki
  • Cassandra Linnertz

Voynovich Competitive Scholarship

  • Elisabeth Kuras
  • Jack Soderberg

Michael Waskowsky Prize

  • Elyse Yost

Charles Lewis Williams Jr. Award

  • Hannah Durant

Clarke Benedict Williams Prize

  • Tolkien Bagchi
  • Mallory Dolorfino
  • Marissa Dolorfino

Maynard Owen Williams Memorial Award

  • Zoe Claire Chunqi Gurney
  • Isabel Minerva Morillo
  • Hanis Sommerville
  • Rosesandy Walters
Two students take a selfie at the Senior Awards Program
Student shakes hands with faculty and staff at Senior Awards ceremony
Senior Awards recipient walks toward front of Stetson Chapel
Seven students gather during Senior Awards ceremony
Attendees hug at Senior Awards ceremony
Lined up senior awards
Families attend Senior Awards ceremony
Students among those attending Senior Awards ceremony
Two students receive senior awards
Ten students pose with senior awards
Four students pose with senior awards
Eight students pose with senior awards
Two students pose with senior awards
Four students pose with senior awards
Two students pose with senior awards
Student poses with senior award
Student poses with senior award
Six students pose with senior awards
Two students pose with senior awards
Four students applaud fellow senior award recipients
Ten students pose with senior awards
Four students pose with senior award
Seven students pose with senior awards
Three students pose with senior awards
Student poses with senior award
Several students posing with senior awards

Kalamazoo College Unveils Winter 2023 Dean’s List

Congratulations to the following Kalamazoo College students, who achieved a grade point average of 3.5 or better for a full-time course load of at least three units, without failing or withdrawing from any course, during the winter 2023 academic term. Students who elect to take a letter-graded course on a credit/no credit basis (CR/NC) are not eligible for Dean’s List consideration during that term nor are students who receive an F, NC or W grade for that particular term. Students with incomplete (I) or in-progress (IP) grades will be considered for the Dean’s List upon receipt of their final grades. Dean’s List recognition is posted on students’ transcripts. Kudos to the entire group for winter 2023.

Winter 2023

Stetson Chapel in winter 2023
Congratulations to the students who reached the Dean’s List in winter 2023.

A

Ashhad Abdullah
Kayla Acosta
Khalil Adams
Fuzail Ahmed
Harsha Ajjarapu
Shahriar Akhavan Tafti
Maya Alkema
Fanny Alvarado
Osman Amaya
Farida Amini
Darsalam Amir
Paige Anderson
Katherine Andretz
Mia Andrews
Eleanor Andrews
Unayza Anika
Michael Ankley
Madison Anspach
Ava Apolo
Kaelyn Arlington
Lora Armstrong
Clarke Austin

B

Tolkien Bagchi
Jenna Bailey
Lindsey Baker
Baylor Baldwin
Carter Bandemer
Zoie Banger
Evan Barker
Ethan Barnes
Brianna Barnes
Jenna Beach
Daniel Beccari
Annabel Bee
Samantha Bekolay
Carolyn Bennett
Cassandra Bennett
Thomas Bentley
Anthony Berkimer
Eleanor Bernas
Thalia Bills
Anna Binkley
Katherine Black
Henry Black
Cara Boissoneault
Sam Boritzki
Troy Bormann
Luke Bormann
Daphne Bos
Mairin Boshoven
Eleni Bougioukou
Adelaide Bowen
Jaylen Bowles-Swain
Ella Boyea
Yvette Boyse-Peacor
Allison Bozyk
Emily Braunohler
Lauren Bretzius
Lukas Broadsword
Avery Brockington
Eamon Bronson
Shay Brown
Chloe Bryant
Anna Buck
Jaden Buist
Leah Bunnell

C

Amaia Cadenas
Isaiah Calderon
Natalie Call
Eleanor Campion
Olivia Cannizzaro
Vanessa Cardenas
John Carlson
Eleanor Carr
Mary Cashman
Caleb Caul
Abigail Caza
Isabella Caza
Alexandra Chafetz
Emily Cheng
Isabel Chiang
Yongwan Cho
Trustin Christopher
Noah Chun
Eva Clancy
Alisha Clark
Kai Clingenpeel
Mai Elise Code
Madeleine Coffman
Gabriel Coleman
Sedona Coleman
Quinn Collins
Zachary Connor
Kyle Cooper
Mia Crites
Isabella Cross
August Crothers
Maeve Crothers
Lilian Crowder Smith
Chase Cummins

D

Gabrielle Daane
Emily Dalecki
Minh Dang
Erik Danielson
Talia Dave
Kylah Davis
Claire Davis
Zachary Dean
Shruti Debburman
Lillian Deer
Carson Deines
Lille Dekker
Ethan DeNeen
Laura DeVilbiss
Devi DeYoung
Michaela Dillbeck
Caitlin Dodde
Brooke Dolhay
Mallory Dolorfino
Alyssa Dorner
Samuel Douma
Alexia Dowell
Jordan Doyle
Emily Dudd
Katia Duoibes
Hannah Durant

E

Eli Edlefson
Sally Eggleston
Jairo Eguia
Carter Eisenbach
Rebecca Elias
Elise Elliot
Sara English
Justin Essing
Gabrielle Evans
Caleb Ewald
Sam Ewald

F

Niklas Fagerman
Jazmyne Fannings
Claire Farhi
Brady Farr
Madalyn Farrey
Blake Filkins
Julia Fitzgerald
Mabel Fitzpatrick
Payton Fleming
Sofia Fleming
Ella Flourry
Stephen Flynn
Daniel Foura
Caroline Francis
Janna Franco
Emma Frederiksen
Hana Frisch
Nathaniel Fuller

G

Ethan Galler
Katie Garcia
Valeria Garcia
Grace Garver
Sean Gates
Roberta Gatti
Lyrica Gee
Vrinda Girdhar
Georgios Gkolois
Samuel Gladhill
Lillian Grelak
Westin Grinwis
Elizabeth Grooten
Molly Gross
Cassandra Grotelueschen
Kendra Guitar

H

Marissa Haas
Yoichi Haga
Vien Hang
Ryan Hanifan
Alison Hankins
Patrick Hanley
Garrett Hanson
Madeline Hanulcik
Rachel Harman
Eleanor Harris
Lucy Hart
Sophie Hartl
James Hauke
Tanner Hawkins
Jiniku Hayashi
Katherine Haywood
Zachary Heimbuch
Jennefer Hernandez
Rosemary Hernandez
Sophia Herold
Ella Heystek
Sierra Hieshetter
Garrick Hohm
Annika Hokanson
Thomas Hole
Madeline Hollander
Ronin Honda
Tyler Horky
Jaelyn Horn
Joseph Horsfield
Molly Horton
Charles Horvath
Tyler Houle
Gavin Houtkooper
Jakob Hubert
Alek Hultberg
Megan Hybels

I

Emiliano Ibarra
Juan Ibarra
Jalen Iereneo
Carson Ihrke

J

Angela Jacobo
Colton Jacobs
Mya Jennings
Deepa Jha
Amelia Johnson
Cloe Johnson
Ryan Johnson
Luke Johnson-Sears
Maxwell Joos

K

Amalia Kaerezi
Kiana Kanegawa
Jessica Kaplan
Leo Kaplan
Judah Karesh
Timothy Karubas
Lillian Kehoe
Ben Keith
Will Keller
Ella Kelly
Emilia Kelly
Alyson Kemery
Mphumelelo Khaba
Si Yun Kimball
Soussana Kimbouris
Anwen King
Rylie Kipfmueller
Caleb Kipnis
Isabella Kirchgessner
Kendyl Kirshman
Claire Kischer
Alexander Kish
Joergen Klakulak
Noah Kleiner
Mart Klenke
Steven Kloosterman
Claudia Klos
Rhys Koellmann
Cole Koryto
Daniel Koselka
Toni Koshmider
Marissa Kovac
Emma Kovacevic
Rachel Kramer
Laryn Kuchta
Elisabeth Kuras
Claire Kvande

L

Margaret LaFramboise
Sophia Lajiness
Caroline Lamb
Jordon Larco
Olivia Laser
Annmarie Lawrence
Madeleine Lawson
Keilana Le
Lam Phuong Le
Grace Leahey
Dillon Lee
Isaac Lee
Ilem Leisher
Margaret Lekan
Sage Lewis
Connor Lignell
Cassandra Linnertz
Nico Lipton
Sydney Lis
Luis Lizardo-Rodriguez
Ava Loncharte
Madeline Lovins
Caden Lowis
Chloe Lucci
Nicholas Lucking

M

Natalie Maki
Andrew Mallon
Lesly Mares-Castro
William Martel
Denise Martinez
Molly Martinez
Stephanie Martinez
Gracen Martini-Zeller
Hollis Masterson
Virginia Matta
Lillian Mattern
Eliza Maurer
Alexia McColl
Megan McGarry
Grace McGlynn
Leo McGreevy
Ashlynne McKee
Jacob McKinney
Joseph McLean
Kira McManus
Amy McNutt
Olivia Meland
Sophia Merchant
Rachel Meston
Allison Meyers
Luke Middlebrook
Brittany Miller
Elizabeth Miller
Ella Miller
Jack Miller
Cooper Mills
Ameera Mirza
Camille Misra
Elana Mitchell
Jackson Mitchell
Lauren Mitchell
Lina Moghrabi
Jana Molby
Aleksandr Molchagin
Raven Montagna
Mackenzie Moore
Eliana Moreno
Aiden Morgan
Emma Morrison
Wyatt Mortensen
Madeline Moss
Arein Motan
Lorelei Moxon
Phumuzile Moyo
Elliot Mrak
Matthew Mueller
Elizabeth Muenzenmaier
Mary Ellen Muenzenmaier
Ezekiel Mulder
Angeles Munoz Horta
Anna Murphy
Erin Murphy
Madison Murphy
Colin Murray

N

Alex Nam
Blagoja Naskovski
Maya Nathwani
Lindsey Nedd
Matthew Nelson
Elizabeth Nestle
Robert Newland
Emma Newlove
Anna Nguyen
Nguyen Nguyen
Vinh Nguyen
Theodore Niemann
Joanna Nonato
Malin Nordmoe
Maeve Novotny
Rohan Nuthalapati

O

Richard O’Donnell
Jeremiah Ohren-Hoeft
Gabriel Olivier
Alexander Olsen
Emma Olson
Gabe Orosan-Weine
Fatima Ortega

P

Chelsea Paddock
Eleanor Parks-Church
Hannah Parsons
Morgan Paye
Mia Pellegrini
Isabella Pellegrom
Kaitlin Peot
Adriana Perez Herrero
Addison Peter
Alexis Petty
Mary Phillips
Sydney Pickell
Benjamin Pickrel
Mia Pierce
William Plesscher
Elaine Pollard
Evan Pollens-Voigt
Noah Prentice
Melissa Preston
Lucas Priemer
Andrew Puckett
Elena Pulliam
Hailey Pullo
Mason Purdy
Bea Putman
Noah Pyle

Q

Alex Quesada

R

Elizabeth Rachiele
Elle Ragan
Savera Rajendra-Nicolucci
Julia Rambo
Alyson Ramillano
America Ramirez
Lafern Ramon
Hunter Rayens
Sara Reathaford
Liam Regan
Laura Reinaux Silva Oliveira
Zoe Reyes
Keegan Reynolds
Lissette Reynoso
Maxwell Rhames
Mya Richter
Sheldon Riley
Milagros Robelo
Emory Roberts
Jacob Robertson
Michael Robertson
Xochitl Robertson
Narelle Robles
Katherine Rock
Skyler Rogers
Olivia Roncone
Amelia Rooks
Luke Rop
Brigid Roth
Mia Roukema
Eli Routt
Tabitha Rowland
Charlotte Ruiter
Angel Ruiz
Nathaniel Rulich
Elliot Russell

S

Sophia Sajan
Hannia Sanchez-Alvarado
Leslie Santos
Maxwell Saxton
Fiona Schaffer
Leo Schinker
Sophia Schlotterer
Allison Schmidt
Vivian Schmidt
Annika Schnell
Madeline Schroeder
Hannah Schurman
Camille Schuster
Amalia Scorsone
Aurora Scott
Isabella Shapiro
William Shaw
Elijah Shiel
Joseph Shumunov
Emma Sidor
Elizabeth Silber
Zachary Simmons
Sophia Sjogren
Colby Skinner
Meganne Skoug
Pieter Slager
Kendall Slamka
Owen Smith
Ping Smith
Grace Snyder
Anoushka Soares
Allison Sokacz
Hanis Sommerville
Kaden Sotomayor
Jonah Spates
Maxwell Spitler
Ella Spooner
Sophia Sprick
David Stechow
Eleanor Stevenson
Molly Stevison
Meredith Steward
Alex Stolberg
Helen Stoy
Abbygale Stump
Maeve Sullivan
Keegan Sweeney
Kaleb Sydloski
Brandon Sysol
Ella Szczublewski

T

Chau Ta
Madison Talarico
Claire Tallio
Nicole Taylor
Suja Thakali
Kaia Thomas
Levi Thomas
William Thomas
Minh Thu Le
Sophia Timm-Blow
William Tocco
Luke Torres
Renee Torres
Jakob Torzewski
Vincent Tran
Vincent Tremonti
Nghia Trinh
Maria Tripodis
MiaFlora Tucci
May Tun
Francesca Turnage
Aija Turner

U

Hannah Ulanoski
Gabrielle Unger-Branson
Tristan Uphoff
Chilotam Urama
Ifeoma Uwaje

V

Alexis Valdes
Hannah Vander Lugt
Cameron VanGalder
Mitchel VanGalder
Rae Vansparrentak
Anna Varitek
Ella VarnHagen
Evan Vicker
Gabriel Vidinas
Mirella Villani
Robin Vogel
Lucille Voss
Jessalyn Vrieland

W

Gabin Wagner
Ivy Walker
Audrey Walker
Lucinda Wallis
Elizabeth Wang
McKenna Wasmer
Riley Weber
Elias Wennen
Luke Werner
Emerson Wesselhoff
Grace Westerhuis
Katelyn Williams
Tariq Williams
Skai Williams
Carson Williams
Jackson Willits
Nick Wilson
Riley Wilson
Jordyn Wilson
Siona Wilson
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K, WMU Partnership Provides Immersive Experience for Business Students

L. Lee Stryker Associate Professor of Business
Management Amy MacMillan

Western Michigan University and Kalamazoo College are embarking on an exciting new partnership that will allow students from both institutions to go outside the classroom to gain powerful experiences in leadership and business strategy by consulting with local companies on their business challenges.

Managed by Drs. Doug Lepisto and Derrick McIver, co-directors of Western’s Center for Principled Leadership and Business Strategy, and Amy MacMillan, L. Lee Stryker Associate Professor of Business Management for Kalamazoo College, the project will ask students to collaborate through an immersive consulting experience at Sleeping Giant Capital’s downtown office.

The partnership taps into the existing leadership and business strategy practicum course at WMU, which Lepisto co-teaches at the WMU Haworth College of Business, and integrates elements from the strategic marketing management course that MacMillan co-teaches at Kalamazoo College.

Both courses are structured so students work for the entire semester on a business issue for a company, in the same way that a management consulting firm would, exploring all possibilities and conducting research to generate the best solutions for the business.

Now, the two schools have joined forces to take things to an even higher level. There will be a total of six teams, and each team will have two student leaders and a group of student analysts from both schools. At the conclusion of the project, students will be prepared to lead, excel in project-based work and create value for small- and medium-sized businesses.

Portrait of Kalamazoo College alumnus Doug Lepisto
Doug Lepisto ’04

The client this semester is construction and development firm AVB, which has asked students to look at growth strategies for its future. Students from Western and Kalamazoo College will work on teams in a competitive process throughout the spring 2023 semester, where faculty members will provide feedback and decide which strategies best address AVB’s business question. At the end of the semester, the top teams will present to company leadership with a cash prize of $5,000 to be awarded to the winning team.

Along the way, students will be mentored by executives, who are WMU alumni, from management consulting firms including McKinsey & Company, Bain & Company and others.

From the beginning

The idea for this partnership first formed as Lepisto was watching a WMU football game and gazed across campus to see the Kalamazoo College stadium with a Hornets’ game taking place at the same time. Lepisto, who is a graduate of Kalamazoo College, kept thinking about that parallel and began exploring the ways in which both institutions were similar: a focus on experiential learning, a commitment to the Kalamazoo community and a passion for social good in any industry or career.

“Kalamazoo is an education city,” Lepisto says. “By connecting WMU, Kalamazoo College, Sleeping Giant Capital and local businesses, our goal is to offer an unrivaled experience that is transformative and drives widespread benefit.”    

Lepisto’s concept for the collaboration soon led him to MacMillan, and after lots of brainstorming together, they created the partnership that is being piloted this semester and likely expanded in the future.

“Experiential education has long been a defining feature of Kalamazoo College,” says MacMillan.  “As educators, we constantly need to innovate these experiences to meet student needs. This unique collaboration with WMU and Sleeping Giant Capital provides real-world experience that builds leaders ready to hit the ground running when they graduate.” 

Students will be participating in a docuseries, providing an insider’s view of the project and what they are learning from the process and each other. Follow the story on Instagram.

About Kalamazoo College

Kalamazoo College, founded in 1833, is a nationally recognized residential liberal arts and sciences college located in Kalamazoo. The creator of the K-Plan, Kalamazoo College provides an individualized education that integrates rigorous academics with life-changing experiential learning opportunities. For more information, visit kzoo.edu.

About Western Michigan University

Western Michigan University prepares students from around the globe for a life well lived. In an environment focused on well-being and holistic success, students thrive academically, emotionally and physically and go on to pursue their purpose, prosper in meaningful careers and make an impact on society. Founded in 1903, Western offers nearly 250 academic programs to nearly 18,000 students pursuing degrees through the doctoral level. The University’s focus on well-being supports holistic success, empowering students to craft a life of meaning and fulfillment. Nine of 10 Broncos get jobs quickly in their field in jobs they like. Learn more at wmich.edu.

K Announces $250,000 Gift to Support Faculty-Led Student Research, Creative Works

Faculty-Student Research and Creative Works Endowment
Richard J. Cook and Teresa M. Lahti have established an endowment for Undergraduate
Research and Creative Activity to facilitate faculty-student collaborative work.

Kalamazoo College students participating in faculty-advised research or creative projects now have access to dedicated funding thanks to a $250,000 gift from a couple who previously served as members of the College’s faculty and administration.

The Richard J. Cook and Teresa M. Lahti Endowment for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity was established to facilitate faculty-student collaborative work. The fund provides stipends, materials and essential project-related travel assistance to students engaged in such research or creative activity.

The fund began awarding grants in 2020, providing support to projects as varied as chemistry research related to solar energy production and efficiency, the study of the physical structure of viruses and a poetry collection exploring themes of identity.

“A gift such as this one improves equity for students with financial need who want to take advantage of these collaborative opportunities—particularly in the summer months, when students are also working and saving for the coming academic year,” Provost Danette Ifert Johnson said. “We are so grateful to Richard and Terry for supporting what is often a transformative experience for K students.”

After earning a bachelor’s in chemistry from the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. in chemistry from Princeton University, Richard Cook joined the faculty at Kalamazoo College in 1973, eventually serving as chair of the division of natural sciences and mathematics. In 1987, he received one of Kalamazoo’s highest honors, the Lucasse Fellowship for Excellence in Scholarship. He was named provost of the College in 1989 and served for seven years in that role before being named president of Allegheny College in 1996. Cook left Allegheny in 2008 and joined Lahti Search Consultants. Today he is a higher education governance and leadership consultant with Cook Leadership Partnership.

Teresa Lahti was the dean of admission at K from 1991-1996, where she helped to lift K’s national profile on the admission stage. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of Saint Benedict and completed graduate work at the University of Notre Dame. Lahti began her career at the College of Saint Benedict/Saint John’s University in Minnesota as an admissions counselor and later served as director of recruitment at the University of Miami in Florida and director of admissions at Agnes Scott College in Georgia before joining K. She founded Lahti Search Consultants in 1997, an executive search firm that specialized in placing enrollment leaders at more than 250 colleges and universities.

“We know from firsthand experience the life-changing difference scholarship support and dedicated mentors can make in a student’s trajectory,” Cook and Lahti said. “It is a true privilege to support K’s longstanding commitment to its nationally recognized student-faculty research program. We are confident that future students will benefit from the excitement of discovery through faculty-guided projects as previous generations of students have.” 

Princeton Review Honors K Among Best Colleges

Kalamazoo College honored among 388 best colleges
Kalamazoo College has once again been nationally recognized by the Princeton Review in its popular guide, “The Best 388 Colleges.”

Kalamazoo College has once again been nationally recognized by the Princeton Review in its popular guide, The Best 388 Colleges. The 2023 edition of the book will feature Kalamazoo College among the top 14 percent of colleges and universities in the country and will be available to purchase on August 23.

The Best 388 Colleges, released annually by the Princeton Review, chooses colleges from the nation’s 2,700 institutions based on data it collects from administrators about their academic offerings, and surveys of its students who rate and report on their experiences.

The colleges selected are currently listed on the Princeton Review’s website.

“We salute Kalamazoo College for its outstanding academics and we are genuinely pleased to recommend it to prospective applicants searching for their ‘best-fit’ college,” said Rob Franek, the Princeton Review’s editor-in-chief and lead author of The Best 388 Colleges.

The book won’t rank colleges individually, however, it gives K faculty high marks—95 out of 99—for student accessibility. Students in surveys for the Princeton Review say their professors “present challenging information and generally work to achieve camaraderie with students.” Furthermore, faculty “definitely understand that classes may be difficult and really, truly want to help students learn the best they can.” Professors also view students “as equals and peers and are open to listening to everyone’s ideas in classes.”

In K’s academic profile, The Best 388 Colleges lauds the K-Plan, the College’s approach to an education in the liberal arts and sciences, for an open curriculum in which “students have more time to explore exactly what they want to learn.” That approach allows each student to find their niche quickly in a small-school environment and helps everyone find campus and community activities they care about, the book says.

“K’s inclusion in The Best 388 Colleges is based on how students rate their experiences in classrooms and labs, with their professors, in community engagement and in their extracurricular activities including athletics,” Dean of Admission Suzanne Lepley said. “The idea that K is repeatedly honored year after year through the publication reflects the opportunities available to our students and the quality education they receive.”

Fiske Guide to Colleges Credits K for Imperative Projects, Engaged Faculty

Fiske Guide to Colleges logo for 2023
The 2023 version of the “Fiske Guide to Colleges”
praises Kalamazoo College for its independent
scholarship opportunities, academic excellence,
experiential education efforts and
intercultural experiences.

Kalamazoo College again is featured in a global guide to institutions of higher education that has been trusted by students, families and guidance counselors for nearly 40 years, the Fiske Guide to Colleges

Edward B. Fiske was the New York Times education editor for 17 years. During that time, he thought college-bound students needed better information in selecting a college or university. He wrote the Fiske Guide to Colleges to help them and updated it annually with an editorial team. 

The guide now includes a selective, subjective and systematic look at more than 300 colleges and universities in the United States, Canada and the UK along with indexes that break down schools by state; academic, social and quality-of-life ratings; financial aid availability and acceptance rates. 

In the 2023 version, available now, the publication says K students “pursue a liberal arts curriculum that includes language proficiency, a first-year writing seminar, sophomore and senior seminars, as well as a senior individualized project—directed research, a creative piece, or a traditional thesis—basically anything that caps off each student’s education in some meaningful way.” 

In addition to senior integrated projects promoting independent scholarship opportunities, the guide praises other tenets of the K-Plan, the College’s integrated approach to an excellent education, including: 

  • Academic excellence. The flexibility and rigor of K’s curriculum provides students with a customized academic experience. According to the guide, professors rate highly for their enthusiasm and accessibility while giving students the individual attention they need. 
  • Experiential education. Students connect classroom learning with real-world experience by completing career development internships or externships, participating in civic engagement and service-learning projects, and getting involved in social justice leadership work. 
  • International and intercultural experience. Students choose from 56 study abroad programs in 29 countries across six continents. The guide quotes a biology major as saying, “Kalamazoo College does study abroad so well that it seems ridiculous not to take advantage of this opportunity. They make it financially accessible and ensure that you won’t fall behind by going abroad.” 

“K’s academic terms may be fast-paced and the workload demanding, but students are given the flexibility to pursue their interests through individualized projects and off-campus exploration,” the publication says. “The result is a student body defined by open-minded, global citizens.”