Our Community Stories

Taking a Stand
Maddie Perry
Something I discovered about myself at DePauw was learning to confidently voice my thoughts and opinions…
Meet Maddie Perry
Honoring Heritage
Moises Rivera
My heritage impacts my daily life in almost every way, from the way I interact with people and how I…
Meet Moises Rivera
Applied learning. Real solutions.
Scott Wilkerson
Out of graduate school, I worked for 3.5 years gaining invaluable experience with Exxon Production Research…
Meet Scott Wilkerson
Social Change Agent
Kyle Smitley
Kyle Smitley launched an organic children’s clothing line at age 23, just a year out of DePauw. Inspired…
Meet Kyle Smitley
Spiritual Self-Discovery
Zoe Green
Growing up in a military family, Zoe Green ’27 became accustomed to transition at a young age. Having…
Meet Zoe Green
Art for All
Maggie Perry
The Brooklyn Museum. The Art Institute of Chicago. The Sarah Gormley Gallery in Columbus, Ohio. Anyone…
Meet Maggie Perry
Business Executive
Elisa Villanueva Beard
Elisa has been an integral part of Teach for America for 25 years. It all started in 1998 as a TFA Phoenix…
Meet Elisa Villanueva Beard
From Guernsey to Greencastle
Tanner Austin
“I came out here on a limb,” says Tanner Austin ’28. “It's just unbelievably lucky how it all worked…
Meet Tanner Austin
Fostering Personal Connections
Sarah Rowley
What excites me about teaching? Everything! The magic that happens in the classroom is completely dependent…
Meet Sarah Rowley
Curiosity and Conservation
Tommy Manning
“My whole life I've been into environmentalism and sustainability,” says Tommy Manning ’26. Although…
Meet Tommy Manning
Building Connections
Naima Shifa
The biggest part of my teaching is building connections with my students and creating a community in…
Meet Naima Shifa
Empowering Students
Leslie James
Since I recognize that each student brings a unique dimension to the collective, it is problematic to…
Meet Leslie James
Serving with Purpose
Maria Barrios
For Maria Barrios ’27, the journey to DePauw has been anything but conventional. Yet despite the difficulty…
Meet Maria Barrios
Empowering Change
Erika Marchant
Because of my interest in Chinese language, culture, history and philosophy, I declared a major in Chinese…
Meet Erika Marchant
Enriching a Global Perspective
Marwa Aarab
As an international student keen on medicine and research, I chose DePauw University after careful examination…
Meet Marwa Aarab
Pivotal Moments
Ha Chu
“It changed my life,” says Ha Chu ’26, recalling an interaction early in her time at DePauw with Larry…
Meet Ha Chu
Getting Exposure
Ben Schroeder
Ben Schroeder came to DePauw on the recommendation of a family member who graduated in the 1980s. Having…
Meet Ben Schroeder
Global Strategist
Phyllis Ferrell
DePauw pride has remained an important part of Phyllis Ferrell's life, even after graduation in 1994…
Meet Phyllis Ferrell
Embracing Unpredictable Moments
Deepa Prakash
What excites me about teaching is the opportunity to discuss and learn about the pressing issues that…
Meet Deepa Prakash
Endless Curiosity
Marielle Gearding
Theatre. Neuroscience. Creative writing. True crime. Dance. Marielle Gearding ’27 has no shortage of…
Meet Marielle Gearding
Global Impact
Sharon Crary
Professor Sharon Crary has studied the devastating effects of the Ebola virus for 15 years. Since the…
Meet Sharon Crary
Get weird, make mistakes
Byron Mason
I came to DePauw knowing I wanted to write, but there were a lot of different avenues that I could take…
Meet Byron Mason
Freedom to Explore
Erik Wielenberg
Since 1999, Erik Wielenberg has been a fixture of the philosophy department at DePauw University. Not…
Meet Erik Wielenberg
The Difference is in the Details
Andrea Sununu
For over 30 years I’ve taught literature at DePauw and welcomed the chance to serve not only as teacher…
Meet Andrea Sununu
The Perfect Place for Filmmaking
Jordan Sjol
Jordan Sjol may be relatively new to the DePauw University faculty, but as assistant professor of film…
Meet Jordan Sjol
A Journey Worth Taking
Elise Johns
Every prospective student has a vision for what they want out of their college experience. I knew I wanted…
Meet Elise Johns
A Collaborative Approach
Craig Paré
I love that our students come to classes and rehearsals hungry to learn and, when challenged, respond…
Meet Craig Paré
Promoting Peace Through Music
Andrew Brown
I chose DePauw because it is the kind of place where students can explore fields of studies that are…
Meet Andrew Brown
In the Swim of Things
John Marshall
When I started my college search, I wasn’t 100 percent settled on a path. I had enjoyed economics in…
Meet John Marshall
A Life-Changing Invitation
Hanna Coffel
When DePauw’s softball coach invited Hanna Coffel ’26 to campus as a high school sophomore, it was the…
Meet Hanna Coffel