Fabulous first-years

As you read this, members of the Class of 2027 are in the final weeks of their first semester. The 830+ of them arrived on campus in August as an already remarkable bunch.

One started a nonprofit that raised more than $20,000 and provided 2,000 backpacks filled with school supplies for students in Texas and Zambia. One was among the first female members of the Boy Scouts of America. One held a Guinness Book of World Records title for world’s largest slime.

“Our incoming class is comprised of students who have achieved both academically and personally,” said Stephanie Dupaul, vice president for enrollment management. “In addition to their academic excellence, they have interesting hobbies and extracurricular activities that bring diverse perspectives and a lot of energy to our campus. These new Spiders, who are archers, artists, chefs, entrepreneurs, figure skaters, fencers, musicians, and much more, will use their experiences to enhance their academic careers.”

The Class of 2027 includes 15% first-generation students, 27% students of color, and 11% international students from 35 countries, including Brazil, Canada, India, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

Many incoming students had already completed advanced research. One spent more than two years researching C. difficile infections and helped develop a wipe that makes C. diff spores visible. Others researched prison systems and solitary confinement, the impacts of the Holocaust on the mental health of descendants of survivors, and the effect of a lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet on dance injuries.

We look forward to telling stories about what more these Spiders accomplish over the next four years.