The Scholars Speak

Here’s what some current Century Scholars have to say about the program:

The Century Scholars program has been instrumental in giving me access to information required to pursue and fund my research projects. As I end my junior year, I look forward to an even more exciting senior year. Recently, I was admitted to the Northwestern University Premedical Scholars Program that provides me with a spot in Feinberg after I graduate. The opportunities available from the School of Communication and the Century Scholars program have been key to my gaining admission into Feinberg Medical School.

The Communication Century Scholars program has broadened the scope of my education at Northwestern. From entertaining question and answer sessions with fascinating faculty to social events including the marquee events of the Main Stage theatre season, I have made connections with faculty and fellow students that are shaping my senior year at Northwestern and beyond. It's amazing how a casual luncheon presentation by the Director of the Office of Fellowships or a post-theatre chat with director Mary Zimmerman can have such a large impact.

I love the Communication Century Scholars program because it allows me to meet other students and professors with similar academic interests. Additionally, I get to learn about incredible projects and research that community members are working on to which I would not have otherwise been exposed. I like meeting several times each quarter with the same group of scholars just to catch up on our personal and professional developments, to celebrate our accomplishments, and to network information that is helpful to others.

The century scholars program connected me with both faculty and ideas. I never knew that there was such thing as a white, agnostic, gospel singer, nor had I ever really considered the possibility until a Century Scholars luncheon with performance studies professor E. Patrick Johnson this fall. This discovery, for me, was exciting, unexpected, and off the academic beaten path. It was exactly the kind of stimulating and distinct experience I was looking forward to when I decided to come to Northwestern.

I greatly appreciate the Century Scholars program for establishing a forum in which I can engage in enlightening conversations with professors, creative staff, and other members of the Northwestern faculty. Meeting those who direct and organize productions provides an irreplaceable opportunity to actually dissect the concepts propeling their creations. Such an encounter permits an exchange of artistic and professional ideas otherwise impossible. In addition, I feel extremely connected to my fellow Century Scholars as a community with which I can effectively communicate and seek for support. We mentor each other, acquiring inspiration from the innovation within us all.