September 23, 2004

Pop quiz: Gabe Gutierrez

Senior, Medill School of Journalism

Works at admission office as senior counselor, conducting information sessions with prospective students and their parents and giving campus tours. Came to Northwestern from Miami.

photo by Stephen Anzaldi

Can you name an experience you’ve enjoyed, to your surprise, at Northwestern? I never expected to join a fraternity. I have a feeling most Northwestern students feel the same way, and yet nearly 40 percent of the campus is in the Greek system. It hasn’t changed me fundamentally, but I’ve been exposed to a diverse group of people I wouldn’t otherwise have met.

Many of the things that end up affecting you most are things you never expected to happen. I learned long ago to hold off on planning my entire college career because you never know what will come up.

I’m participating in Medill’s Global Journalism Program, yet it’s not something I guessed I would ever consider.

Where will the program take you? I’ll be working at an English-speaking television station in New Delhi, India. My parents freaked out, too, when they heard I was going to India. But it’s one of those opportunities I might not get again.

What have you learned at Northwestern? To be well-rounded. Classes are important, but extracurricular activities are where people learn the most. The social aspect of college teaches you so much. Northwestern has a great balance in that regard. Most of us work and play hard.

Also, I’m learning to be more cosmopolitan. After attending a media seminar in Paris over Spring Break and applying to work in India this year, I have a newfound desire to learn about other cultures.

And judging by the large number of students that study abroad, I’d say many students feel the same way.

— Stephen Anzaldi