2021 Stabler Donor Impact Report R4

ARTS AND SCIENCES Name: Caroline Mierzwa Hometown: Rutherford, NJ Major: English Class: 2023 Favorite activity: Bad Company (hip hop group) Favorite faculty or staff: Professor Lyndon Dominique, English Dream job: Building Curriculum for Public Schools Lehigh’s numerous offerings of interdisciplinary programs allow me to combine my passions of English and history, as well as simultaneously pursue the five-year master’s in education pro- gram. It is very rare that colleges would allow students to take graduate courses at the undergraduate level, but Lehigh enables me to do so! My admittance into the Eckardt Scholars Program further supports my interdisciplinary studies. It has been the highlight of my academic career thus far. This flagship honors program in the College of Arts and Sciences empowers students interested in the humanities, social sciences, and arts to study multiple disciplines at once. I was invited to join the program during my second semester of my freshman year. It was quite a lovely surprise, especially since I had to be nominated by two professors (huge thank you to Professor Ripa and Professor Munoz!). I’m beyond honored to be in this high-ranking program and excited to see what opportunities this program will lead me towards. Professor Dominique in the English department is the reason I declared an English major, and he has genuinely changed the way I view English as a field of study. I have had the privilege of being in Professor Dominique’s classes for two semesters, and his charismatic and astute discussions have allowed me to sharpen my writing and the way I critically interpret texts. Professor Dominique gets so excited whenever someone in the class reads the text in a different way or sheds light on a new perspective or historical outlook. His encouragement fuels our participation and our love of English. I hope to emulate that same joy to my students in the future as a teacher or professor. When I think of what has made my Lehigh experience so genuine and personal, the people that have empowered me immediately come to mind. The professors, supervisors, and peers that have shown genuine interest in me are astounding. It has taught me that academics and friendship are not mutu- ally exclusive and that real learning comes from both my professors and peers. I see myself giving back by encouraging prospective or incoming students to pursue whatever makes them excited to learn. I will give back by showing genuine interest in their future at Lehigh and beyond. Upon my initial tour of Lehigh when I was in eighth grade, I promised myself that if I was presented with the opportunity to come to Lehigh, I would take it. One of the biggest deterrents from keep- ing that promise was the high tuition. With this scholarship, I have been able to keep that promise, and I could not be more thankful. With your generosity, I can continue to be an active student in the Eckardt Scholars Program, a valuable team member on the Lehigh University Dance Team, and a kind resource to my first-year residents as a Gryphon. Thank you! I genuinely appreciate it!