Mentors at Hope College

A big part of my excitement about attending Hope College was related to the internship and mentoring opportunities. As a student of Political Science and Philosophy who is planning to work in Development and Business in my home country, Nigeria, it was important to me that I felt supported throughout my four years. Fortunately, Hope …

Life as a Phelps Scholar

Going into college, I knew I wanted to go beyond the typical experience. I wanted something that challenged my preconceived notions of the world and allowed me to encounter things I’ve never experienced before. That’s why I applied to be a Phelps Scholar. What’s a Phelps Scholar? The Phelps Scholars are a living-learning community for …

From Cleaning to Presenting: My Hope College Research Experience

Before coming to Hope, I had the realization that it was going to be hard to be able to gain a lot of experience in research within the Biology field. As an international student from the Philippines, I barely had any research experience and I was not able to either shadow or intern within other …

Choosing a Major

For the majority of high school, my heart was set on being a political science major when I got to college. I had big dreams of getting my degree, working in DC, and eventually running for political office. Then I changed my mind. About a month after getting to college, I realized that I actually …

Transformed By Hope

As I approach my last semester at Hope College, I have spent more and more time thinking about my experiences at Hope, what I’ve learned in my classes, and what I’ve learned about life. The other day I was at chapel and the speaker said, “Guys, I don’t know if you’ve realized this, but college …

To my Mentors: Thank you for Being a Friend

My Hope College experience can be attributed to one thing: community. My freshman year, it was very easy for me to assume that my community would be my peers. However, as I reflect on my nearly 4 years at Hope, I have come to realize and develop an appreciation for the mentors who I have …

Mentorship at Hope

One of the biggest things I have learned the past couple of years is the value of mentorships. Hope College has thankfully provided me with some really awesome opportunities to seek the wisdom of others. Coming into college and moving away from home, it does not take long to notice the lack of older influence …

Academics at Hope as a Business and Communication Major

The First Step I vividly remember how nervous I was about college classes as a high school student. I tend to be a perfectionist so I was concerned with not succeeding academically at Hope College when I had made my decision to attend. Thankfully, my high school prepared me extremely well, and the deeper I …

An International Student Explores Different Sides of America

For an international student from Nigeria who moved six thousand miles to study at Hope College, the idea of leaving Michigan to go off campus might seem puzzling. However, once you understand the drive that propelled me across the Atlantic, you can appreciate why I wanted to experience more parts of the United States during …

Mechanical Engineering: Can I Actually Graduate in 4 Years?

As I was doing my college visits as a senior in high school, I constantly found myself asking engineering students if they were able to graduate in four years or if five was more realistic. Hope was the only school that was consistently stating that as an engineering student I would graduate in four years. …