Gus at his graduation from WOU.
School: Western Oregon University
Major: English w/Writing Focus
Minor: Theater
Favorite College Class: Fiction Writing
Gus is a recent graduate from Western Oregon University and a four year Incight scholar! Now embarking on a new journey to find employment after college, Gus shared with us his reflections on his college experience.
Gus’s favorite thing about college was far and away the social aspect. He was able to meet a really fun group of friends and enjoyed how easy it was to meet people. He was even able to combine his love of writing with his fun with friends by writing a 30 page fantasy novella about their adventures. He hopes one day to turn this story into a full novel.
Several things in particular pleasantly surprised Gus about college. While he expected it to be a very intense learning atmosphere, he ended up appreciating how “laid back and friendly” the people there were. The talent in his theater department really impressed him, and he spent quite a bit of time filling different roles in their productions.
While at Western Oregon, Gus also became a peer advisor and really enjoyed having the chance to be a positive role model. This past summer, he completed his course load with an advanced fiction writing class and also did the tech work for a play on campus. Gus found that his biggest challenge was striking that balance between school work and his increasingly busy social life.
His advice for those about to enter college? It goes by fast. College will be the next 4 to 6 years of your life. Don’t look at it as a barrier to get through to the next step. Enjoy it. And don’t hold too close your first ideas about who you are and what you want. Be willing to re-evaluate. Take advantage of opportunities. If somewhere along the line you change, don’t be afraid of that.
