This article is part of the series, College Insights, in which Springs alumni discuss Colleges that they’ve chosen to attend, and why. If you have further questions or would like to suggest different colleges, feel free to email me at clara.rominger@indiansprings.org or Carina at carina.lim@indiansprings.org

This issue will focus on Lewis and Clark College through an interview with Virginia Gray ‘20 and Georgetown University through an interview with Maya Cassidy ‘19

1) What kind of person were you at Springs? What extracurriculars did you participate in and what were your favorite classes?

Virginia Gray’20: Springs extracurriculars are definitely one of my favorite things about the school and hold some of my best memories. I played softball for most of my time until I got a waitressing job, and joined the JV volleyball team in 10th grade, even though I knew nothing about it. Springs made me feel comfortable like that. I dabbled in student government at least once a semester, which I really enjoyed. I also wrote for the Woodward Post as junior and then became the Editor in Chief my senior year. The Post was absolutely my favorite extracurricular activity at Springs. It taught me so much about communication, self advocacy, and (for real) community. 

My favorite classes were with Woodruff. Take them. You have to take AP Lang 

(assuming nothing has changed), but you are making a mistake if you don’t take his electives. I promise.

Maya Cassady’19: I'm not sure exactly what kind of person I was during my time at Springs. I played volleyball and softball throughout my five years, was part of Contemp, and I did my fair share of student government. That being said, I think some of the most defining moments outside of class came as being a boarder, so maybe that is the best description of Springs me. I loved all of my classes, which is a rare occurrence in high school. I have to say that Mrs. Gray's precalculus and calculus classes gave me a new and invigorating understanding of Math that I've pursued in my past year at Georgetown. 

 2) What do you participate in now?

Virginia Gray’20: I’m planning on being a Biology major with a French and Gender Studies double minor. I’m currently looking at study abroad programs for academic credit with the biology department, which has been really fun. 

As of now, I’m a member of the Feminist Student Union and the French Club. I’m super excited to join the Frisbee club and Outdoors club once I move onto campus next semester. 

Maya Cassady’19: Clubs are a big part of Georgetown. I'm currently vice-president/treasurer of the DC college art collective, head of our college radio's music department, staff writer at The Georgetown Voice, and also shortstop for our club softball team. 

3) What’s your overall impression of your school?

Virginia Gray’20: Lewis & Clark is awesome. The campus is breathtaking, the professors are qualified, interesting, and supportive, and the students are generally just super nice. The vibe is definitely Chill in every sense of the word, but the people I’ve met are nonetheless involved and passionate about their studies and extracurriculars.  

Maya Cassady’19: It is not an understatement to say that Georgetown has quickly become my new home along with DC. I really love this school and all of the friends and professors I've met since my time at Springs. 

4) What kind of student is a good fit for your school? 

Virginia Gray’20: If you like Springs, you’ll like Lewis & Clark. It has the same “this is like summer camp but also intellectual” thing going on. If you need a competitive atmosphere, though, L&C might not be a good fit. 

Academically, I’ve heard great things about their environmental science, sociology/anthropology, world languages, and biology departments. 

Apparently the music program kind of sucks, so I’d steer away from LC if you want to pursue a music degree. Sports are also not a big thing at LC. If you’re into joining a club team super easily then LC is great, but sports are not a staple of student life. 

Maya Cassady’19: I don't think that there is a typical "good" fit for Georgetown. Ask anybody outside of Georgetown, and I would be considered a "bad" fit. I'm not hoping to major in Government or completely academically focused. I'm just someone who really enjoys the arts and journalism and things that Georgetown isn't necessarily known for. I'm sure Mrs. Johnson would agree when I say that you just have to try to actively participate in the areas of your college that give back to you in a meaningful way for you to be "a good fit" on your campus.

5) What’s something you’d change about the school?

Virginia Gray’20: They only offer Gender Studies as a minor. I don’t know why, but it’s definitely annoying. They also only offer BA’s (no BS’s); this was a plus for me, but definitely look into that in case you aren’t aware of what each type of degree entails. 

Maya Cassady’19: It may be a good sign that it took me a little while to answer this one. Georgetown has been very good to me. I've grown more than I could've hoped for in my time here, and I don't think that I would change anything, in particular, about my experience. I think most students who know exactly what they want to do before freshman year would complain that our CORE requirements are too restraining, but I've found all of the general requirements (history, philosophy, theology, etc.) that I wouldn't have otherwise taken to be really insightful and generally additive experiences. 

6) What kind of people are there on campus? 

Virginia Gray’20: I get the sense that most of the student population had super successful high school careers, but either (1) didn’t do well on standardized testing, (2) didn’t want to pay the massive tuition of more “elite” schools, or (3) decided they’d rather live in the relaxed, passion-driven atmosphere of Portland instead of the competitive, success-driven atmosphere of lots of east coast schools.  

Demographically, a lot of Californians and Hawaiians. A weird pocket of people from Chicago. Virtually no one is from the east coast, especially the south east, but that does create a bond between those who are, which is really refreshing amongst the often obnoxious LA and ~Bay Area~ population. 

Maya Cassady’19: So many. Just about all of the possible students. 

7) What do you enjoy most about your school?

Virginia Gray’20: Kind of everything. I love the location; LC’s campus is on a hill surrounded by a stunning state park, but in a 15 minute drive down to the river you’re downtown. I love the professors; they’re engaging and supportive and accessible. I love the academics; classes are challenging but not unmanageable, and the more advanced you get in any department the cooler and more specialized your class options become. I love the students; they’re kind and interesting and generally just cool.

Maya Cassady’19: I think one of my favorite parts about coming to Georgetown was the fact that it was 1) in a big city and 2) it was somewhat removed from Springs. There's a level of maturation and growing that I could not have done if I had continued college surrounded by close friends or people that I knew. I love that DC gives me anonymity and that Georgetown gives me a chance to redefine who I am and what I find important about myself without having to progress from the same person I was throughout high school. 

8) How does the location affect your overall experience and social life?

Virginia Gray’20: Portland has been a great place to live as a college student. The campus borders Tryon State Park, an old-growth temperate rainforest, so there are miles of hiking trails as soon as you step off campus. The coast is an hour and a half away, and there are lots of great places to hike and camp within thirty minutes. It’s only a 15-minute bus ride to downtown, which has AMAZING food options (lots of food-trucks), tons of trees and rivers, cute farmers markets, and a great music scene (when COVID isn’t happening). Because the campus is on a hill, you can see Mt. Hood from the central part of campus.   

The only downfall is that it’s not a “college town.” There aren’t any restaurants 

you can walk to. That being said, LC’s bus is free and goes to the grocery store, downtown, and a bunch of other places multiple times a day. 

Maya Cassady’19: I didn't think that being in a big city would be a huge game changer, but it has become one of my favorite aspects of Georgetown. I've made so many close friends from neighboring universities, and there's a level of connection (career and community wise) that I wouldn't have had if I had gone to the smaller liberal arts college I was also considering. I think that many freshmen tend to stay on their college campus, but I went into DC and explored all of the small concert venues and art museums and coffee shops that allowed me to meet older Georgetown students as well as ones outside of Georgetown.