Meet #NU2030: A Q&A with Peer Adviser Group 1
Everyone has been really kind and just seems really enthusiastic and excited to have so many new people on campus, so that's felt really great as a new student. ”
Vreeland Tuncer
Class of 2030
New Northwestern students share their unique perspectives as they begin their journey as Wildcats
Incoming students marched through Weber Arch on September 16, an annual tradition during Wildcat Welcome that marks the beginning of their time as students at Northwestern. Students proceed through the Arch with their Peer Adviser groups, led by PA Group 1.
PA Group 1 was led by third-year Viveka Saravanan, a double major in Voice & Opera Performance and Music Education who will serve as an ongoing mentor for the new students. The group itself consisted of students from Bienen School of Music, forming a pre-existing community before they begin classes:
- Grace Coon – Madison, Mississippi
- Jonah Hamilton – Fort Worth, Texas
- Jeremy Huang – Saratoga, California
- Ezra Kusa – St. Paul, Minnesota
- Sean Pau – Cumming, Georgia
- Vreeland Tuncer – Rye, New York
Student Affairs caught up with PA Group 1 shortly after March Through the Arch to hear about their interests and their hopes for the years ahead.
This interview has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.
Why did you pick Northwestern?
Grace Coon: Northwestern is very prestigious. I didn't expect to get in, and it has such a great and rigorous program for my major, and it's in such a great area. It was easy to pick.
Jeremy Huang: At my high school, my two band directors, this is their alma mater. Going through high school, this was the school. It was like the one that you would dream about. It was pretty special to get in and be able to do it and carry on the legacy of my band directors, especially in music education.
Ezra Kusa: I picked Northwestern because of the amazing music school and, in particular, the trombone studio here.
Vreeland Tuncer: I picked Northwestern for the incredible faculty, the location, all of the incredible opportunities and the sense of community here.
What's one thing you're looking forward to doing in your first year at Northwestern?
Coon: I'm excited to get to know all of the ensembles through Bienen, like the choirs and the opera performances, like OPUS.
Jonah Hamilton: Definitely exploring the rest of Evanston and Chicago, and spending a lot of time in the lake. You know, I've always loved spending time on water, so I'm very excited to do that.
Kusa: I'm looking forward to just meeting people from all over the world, and especially in the music program.
Sean Pau: Definitely getting to know a lot more people, getting better on my instrument and just getting used to a new environment.
Tuncer: I am looking forward to going to all of the sports games and supporting those students.
What is your first impression of Northwestern during Wildcat Welcome?
Coon: It feels like a very vibrant community. Everyone is so excited to be here and invested in their education and community, and we all look so good in purple.
Hamilton: Everybody's super, super welcoming. The community is great, and I feel like there's going to be a lot of new friendships that people build.
Pau: It's been very welcoming so far, and campus definitely feels like it's a lot bigger and yet a lot smaller at the same time.
Tuncer: Everyone has been really kind and just seems really enthusiastic and excited to have so many new people on campus, so that's felt really great as a new student.
What subject already fascinates you that you'd like to learn more about?
Hamilton: I'm really excited to explore the more education part of music education. What are the strategies to teaching? How can I become a better teacher?
Huang: I'm really in a music theory right now, even though I didn't really do well in high school, but the opportunities that Bienen School of Music has to offer for theory are really fascinating.
Pau: I definitely want to look more into the Chinese language, culture and literature programs.
What do you think the class of 2030 will be known for in the future?
Coon: I think we're going to be known for being super awesome.
Hamilton: Being very hard-working. I've met a lot of people that say they're dual majors and things like that.
Kusa: I think we'll be known for great musicians.
Tuncer: I think they will be known for their sense of community and their drive in every aspect.