PROFILES

What do your parents do for a living?

You know how every small town has one diner that everyone goes to, even more religiously than church? My family owned that diner. My dad started working there as a sophomore in high school and took it over when he was 18. It got too exhausting so, at age 40, he sold it. My parents are sort of entrepreneurs. They’ve owned a catering business and run an orchard business. Then my parents saw this old train depot located in Collins Marsh, in northeastern Wisconsin. My dad thought it’d be cool if there was a restaurant there. My parents are so crazy. So they bought this train depot, and they turned it into a fine-dining establishment. It’s crazy, but it’s working.

I’m the first person in my family to go to college. My mom’s father discouraged all the girls in his family from getting a college education. My dad got a little technical training.

How did you come to the University of Chicago?

I went to a Catholic high school. They really discouraged anyone from getting a non-Catholic college education. Of course I thought I’d do the exact opposite of whatever they said. Actually, I didn’t research heavily. But colleges send you a boatload of mail. Finally, we got into this huge fight, and I was like, “Fine, Mom, I’ll go to this college.” I slammed my hand down on top of all my college mail and it was a postcard for the University of Chicago. Wow, that’s lucky. My dad and I went on college tours, and Chicago was the last we went on. It was unlike any of the other schools we went to.

Was the cost of tuition an issue?

It was. My dad and I had planned that I would go to Chicago, but there was no way we could pay for it. My dad finally said, “You should go there. We’ll take out loans, and we’ll never be able to pay them back. But we’ll figure it out later. You’ll have the education, and no one can ever take that away. They can take away your house, everything you own, but none of that’s as important as an education.” Isn’t it amazing that a man who never had a college education could be that insightful?

Will you qualify for an Odyssey Scholarship?

Definitely. We were so happy when we heard about Odyssey, because we knew we’d qualify for it. It’s going to really help my family, especially because I have three siblings. It’s unbelievable to me that money is a factor in people getting the best education.

It sounds like the Core curriculum was part of why you came here. You appreciate the liberal arts education. Could you talk about your experience in the Core?

I fell into the University of Chicago a bit by chance, but once I was here, I was really affected by the way they talked about what an education is and how it’s important to be able to think. I don’t think other schools are really teaching that. I’ve been reading the speeches of Robert Maynard Hutchins. That guy was right. He understood what a college education was all about and how really important it is for society.

I started out as a religious-studies major, and then I was looking at English and linguistics. I’d say my drifting from major to major was a result of the Core. And because everyone has taken the Core, whether you’re a biology major or an English major, you can have a meaningful discussion. You run across people you might not have talked to if the school were more departmentalized. You end up having inspiring conversations with people from different fields. If it weren’t for the Core, one could argue those conversations might not take place.

Have you had to work while attending classes?

Yes. I used to work at the University of Chicago Press.

Because of having to work, have you found it hard to take advantage of all the College has to offer?

Absolutely. You can’t try out as much. I don’t go to that many school events. If you’re working 30 hours a week and you’ve got school, you’ve got to have time for yourself.