Our Community Stories
Business Executive
Elisa Villanueva Beard
Elisa has been an integral part of Teach for America for 25 years. It all started in 1998 as a TFA Phoenix…
Meet Elisa Villanueva Beard
Building Connections
Naima Shifa
The biggest part of my teaching is building connections with my students and creating a community in…
Meet Naima Shifa
Discovering Connections
Danielle Sommerman
I chose DePauw because I wanted a school with a small student body where I could make personal connections…
Meet Danielle Sommerman
Making Connections
Sydney Schloemer
No matter what activity Sydney Schloemer ’26 has found herself doing at DePauw, her ultimate goal has…
Meet Sydney Schloemer
Curiosity and Conservation
Tommy Manning
“My whole life I've been into environmentalism and sustainability,” says Tommy Manning ’26. Although…
Meet Tommy Manning
Living with purpose
Ivan Villasboa
While I was growing up in Argentina, I dreamed of becoming a big-city banker in the United States — the…
Meet Ivan Villasboa
Exploration through liberal arts
Evan Steffy
Being from the Greencastle area, DePauw has always been present in my life. I knew I wanted a smaller…
Meet Evan Steffy
Speak Now
Eliana Jolanda Alzate
“Why International Student Orientation is Essentially a Taylor Swift Concert.” Eliana Jolanda Alzate…
Meet Eliana Jolanda Alzate
Innovative Artistry
John Berry
Success and accomplishment flow from the challenging work done in the classroom and studio at DePauw…
Meet John Berry
In the Swim of Things
John Marshall
When I started my college search, I wasn’t 100 percent settled on a path. I had enjoyed economics in…
Meet John Marshall
A Collaborative Approach
Craig Paré
I love that our students come to classes and rehearsals hungry to learn and, when challenged, respond…
Meet Craig Paré
Hope Is the Solution
Bella Zollner
Bella Zollner ’27 isn’t the type to sit on the sidelines. She prefers to be in the heart of the action…
Meet Bella Zollner
Learning how to cut the fat
Zach Taylor
Zach Taylor graduated as a poetry and studio art double-major. Initially he was on an English literature…
Meet Zach Taylor
Diving In
Meghan Shearer
Four months after graduating from DePauw, Meghan Shearer ’13 took a giant risk and moved across the country…
Meet Meghan Shearer
Embracing Unpredictable Moments
Deepa Prakash
What excites me about teaching is the opportunity to discuss and learn about the pressing issues that…
Meet Deepa Prakash
Wisdom and Probability
Elisha Amadasu
Growing up in Brooklyn, Elisha Amadasu ’26 identified his intellectual passion at a young age. “Math…
Meet Elisha Amadasu
Deep Roots
Jason Soto-Vega
Originally from Costa Rica, Jason Soto-Vega ’25 grew up being taught the importance of community, hard…
Meet Jason Soto-Vega
The Difference is in the Details
Andrea Sununu
For over 30 years I’ve taught literature at DePauw and welcomed the chance to serve not only as teacher…
Meet Andrea Sununu
Social Change Agent
Kyle Smitley
Kyle Smitley launched an organic children’s clothing line at age 23, just a year out of DePauw. Inspired…
Meet Kyle Smitley
Empowering Students
Leslie James
Since I recognize that each student brings a unique dimension to the collective, it is problematic to…
Meet Leslie James
Working Together
Greg Schwipps
I am a DePauw professor but also a 1995 DePauw alumnus. I started my first-year at DePauw a would-be…
Meet Greg Schwipps
Freedom to Explore
Erik Wielenberg
Since 1999, Erik Wielenberg has been a fixture of the philosophy department at DePauw University. Not…
Meet Erik Wielenberg
Enriching a Global Perspective
Marwa Aarab
As an international student keen on medicine and research, I chose DePauw University after careful examination…
Meet Marwa Aarab
Formed by Faith
Tanaa Jones
Growing up in Nashville, Tenn., Tanaa Jones ’26 was taught from an early age how to see the world through…
Meet Tanaa Jones
Experiencing it All
Nushla Pradhan
I was interested in natural sciences and social sciences, and I wanted a good blend of different classes…
Meet Nushla Pradhan
Empowering Change
Erika Marchant
Because of my interest in Chinese language, culture, history and philosophy, I declared a major in Chinese…
Meet Erika Marchant
Never Say No
Brace Mullett
Brace Mullett ’26 didn’t have a master plan to come to DePauw, double major in biochemistry and religious…
Meet Brace Mullett
An Appetite for Adventure
Sheraya Smith
Growing up near Crawfordsville, Ind., Sheraya Smith ’20 had always been familiar with DePauw University…
Meet Sheraya Smith
Applied learning. Real solutions.
Scott Wilkerson
Out of graduate school, I worked for 3.5 years gaining invaluable experience with Exxon Production Research…
Meet Scott Wilkerson
Fostering Personal Connections
Sarah Rowley
What excites me about teaching? Everything! The magic that happens in the classroom is completely dependent…
Meet Sarah Rowley