Make Your Life CountPage 4
Matt Wood ’10: Teaching Entrepreneurship in Nicaragua
Gustavus Adolphus College alumnus Matt Wood '10 made his way from Pennsylvania to Gustavus and then to the Peace Corps in Nicaragua. After primarily training teachers in entrepreneurship for the past two years, he will return to the U.S. in July to pursue a master's degree in international business.
Alumna Helps Kids Dealing with Homelessness
From the time she was three years old through her four years in high school, Gustavus Adolphus College alumna Katie DeSantis ’10 found herself in and out of various Minneapolis homeless shelters. The difficulties and uncertainties of growing up in poverty left a lasting impact on her, which is why she is where she is today: working with children in Minneapolis who are faced with clearing the same hurdles she did as a youth.
Matt Swenson ’06: Living a Mission-Driven Life
Matt Swenson '06 made the most of his four years at Gustavus Adolphus College and left the hill inspired to change lives through a career in public service. Today, he serves as Communications Advisor to Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton and has a bright future ahead of him.
Kevin Matuseski ’10: An Educator with a Passion for Service
Teaching and service are two passions that Kevin Matuseski '10 developed during his four years at Gustavus Adolphus College. Today, he is fulfilling those passions by teaching English and life science to sixth graders and volunteering in several ways in Barranquilla, Colombia.
Keisha Bates ’11: Striving to be Extraordinary
When alumna Keisha Bates ’11 made a visit to Gustavus Adolphus College as a high school senior she remembers her admission counselor telling her that ‘Gustavus is a safe place to do extraordinary things.’ That statement resonated with Bates during her four years on the hill, and sticks with her today as she is in the early stages of her professional career at one of the top research universities in the world.
Gusties Seek Social and Environmental Justice on Spring Break
Gustavus juniors Anna McDevitt and Jill Oxborough plan to spend this year's Spring Break in West Virginia, where they will volunteer for the non-governmental organization Coal River Mountain Watch -- a group attempting to prevent the coal industry from using mountaintop removal methods in the region.
Young Alumni Make Their Mark in Political Arena
Alumni of Gustavus Adolphus College have a long tradition of involvement in Minnesota politics dating back to the late 19th century. Continuing this tradition of service – one of the College’s five core values – are more recent alumni who are working their way up the political ladder, determined to become tomorrow's leaders.
Kelly Broady ’11: From Gustavus to Stanford
Kelly Broady '11 was a standout student in the Biology Department at Gustavus and is now pursuing a master's degree in human genetics and genetic counseling at Stanford University.
Daniel Sellers ’06: Ensuring All Kids Receive the Education They Deserve
Daniel Sellers '06 took his sociology and anthropology degree from Gustavus and had a transformational experience with Teach For America. Now Sellers is trying to eliminate the achievement gap in Minnesota schools as the Executive Director of the non-profit MinnCan.
Deane Curtin: Joining Research and Teaching in Service to the Tibetan Community
Gustavus Adolphus College Professor of Philosophy Deane Curtin is on sabbatical halfway around the world, in the midst of a groundbreaking project at the request of His Holiness, the Dalai Lama.