When I first stepped onto campus as a senior in high school, I immediately felt like this
was where I belonged. Being nine hours away from everything that I have ever known, was
extremely hard, but the sense of having a family here helped greatly. I chose to come to St.
Norbert College because it was a smaller school- where all of my professors were able to know
my name and get to know me, not my grade, or my student ID. I remember stepping on
campus, seeing how friendly people were, and how SNC felt like home. The smallest gestures
like saying, “Good morning” or holding the door went a long way. I remember my tour guide
saw the former President Kunkel, and he knew their name and said hello.
Then during welcome week, my FYE mentor made the anxious transition less stressful
by making people feel comfortable and laugh. I remember wanting to join certain clubs and
groups because they spoke so highly about joining groups on campus, this information helped
so much in different ways. I had struggled a lot during my freshman year and having a
one-on-one conversation with my FYE mentor helped me figure out how I could help myself.
I also had amazing professors during my first fall semester, specifically Dr. Thomas
Bolin. His humor in the classroom, passion for religion, and friendly approachable manner,
helped me immensely being here at SNC. I reached out to him and asked if he would like to go
to the cafeteria, and it started a semester tradition where we get coffee at Ed’s and catch up. Dr.
Bolin reminded me of my late grandfather with his humor and knowledge, so he brought me
great comfort.
Continuing through the last two years, I have had more amazing professors who have
given me new knowledge and various experiences that I would not have had at any other
school. For example, last semester (my sophomore spring semester), I took Sociology of
Education taught by Dr. Erinn Brooks, where I got to volunteer at a public school, and
discovered that I wanted to be in the school system for sure. If I didn’t have this experience, I
would not have been able to figure out what I wanted to do after SNC.
Overall, through my experiences with people on campus, previous presidents, current
professors, and certain classes, I have not only been able to learn at SNC but grew as a better
person because of SNC.
-Shelby Keever (Current Junior; Class of 2026)
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