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Name:  Sarah Whitney

Hometown: Pueblo , CO

Major(s): Political Science and Philosophy , WCAS

RC afflliation:   Shepard: homecoming chair, formal chair, capital improvements chair. RCB president.

Current project /passion:   Starting my new job at the law firm Kirkland & Ellis LLP, preparing for law school, and dancing!

Hobbies : Dance- swing, lindy, blues, salsa, west coast swing.

Questions and Answers

Why did you choose Northwestern?

 I chose NU because it is a great school and an incredible community to be a part of. There's just this energy everywhere you go and it's inspiring. I knew that surrounding myself by the best would bring out the best in me. I also fell in love with my residential college Shepard. From the first night I visited NU and stayed there I knew I was home.

What is the best thing about being a student at Northwestern?

 The best thing about being a student at NU is the community. Never could I have guessed that I would be surrounded by such a diverse and talented group of individuals from all over the world. The community is the perfect mix of fun,exploration and academic rigor. It encourages you to become involved, to try new things, to study harder. And through it all to find yourself. What a gift the NU community has been to me.

What is your favorite spot on campus?

Since freshman year I've fallen in love with the lake. Some of my best memories at NU happened there. Whether it was a picnic and frisbee or a evening stroll while discussing philosophy, I always love spending time at the lake. It's beautiful and provides a nice place to get away, relax, and to spend time with friends

What's your favorite class? Why?

I loved my classes at Northwestern, but I must say that my favorite class was my first, my freshman seminar on existentialism with Professor Penelope Deutscher. I was immediately won over by the material and by Deutscher's ability to make it come alive. After the first class I knew that I wanted to be a philosophy major and it has been the best decision I've ever made. One class forever changed the way I think, write, and understand the world. I am who I am because of that class and Professor Deutscher. To me that is the essence of the college experience.

Tell me about your involvement at Northwestern beyond your RC.

Beyond my RC I became involved in the dance group BLAST, Ballroom Latin and Swing Thing. Through the group I had the opportunity to perform and choreograph, something I could have never seen myself doing before my time at NU. I also served on numerous committees through which I became close with members of the faculty and administration. Through a summer research grant I was able to travel to France to conduct research for my honors philosophy thesis. That trip in addition to working one on one with some of the most brilliant minds in philosophy, my thesis advisors in the philosophy department, also enabled me to become a part of the thriving academic community here at NU.