Our Community Stories

Building Connections
Naima Shifa
The biggest part of my teaching is building connections with my students and creating a community in…
Meet Naima Shifa
Pivotal Moments
Ha Chu
“It changed my life,” says Ha Chu ’26, recalling an interaction early in her time at DePauw with Larry…
Meet Ha Chu
Serving with Purpose
Maria Barrios
For Maria Barrios ’27, the journey to DePauw has been anything but conventional. Yet despite the difficulty…
Meet Maria Barrios
Empowering Students
Leslie James
Since I recognize that each student brings a unique dimension to the collective, it is problematic to…
Meet Leslie James
Speak Now
Eliana Jolanda Alzate
“Why International Student Orientation is Essentially a Taylor Swift Concert.” Eliana Jolanda Alzate…
Meet Eliana Jolanda Alzate
Embracing Different Perspectives
Miguel Angel Navarro Jr.
I chose DePauw because I wanted to be somewhere where I felt at home. As a student, I was exposed to…
Meet Miguel Angel Navarro Jr.
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
Getting Exposure
Ben Schroeder
Ben Schroeder came to DePauw on the recommendation of a family member who graduated in the 1980s. Having…
Meet Ben Schroeder
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
Global Impact
Sharon Crary
Professor Sharon Crary has studied the devastating effects of the Ebola virus for 15 years. Since the…
Meet Sharon Crary
Orr Fellow
Kendall Mann
“I was unsure what my early career would entail, but I knew I wanted to give back and support Indiana…
Meet Kendall Mann
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
A Journey Worth Taking
Elise Johns
Every prospective student has a vision for what they want out of their college experience. I knew I wanted…
Meet Elise Johns
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
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
From Intern to Analyst
Jessica Levy
I chose DePauw because I was looking for a management, finance or economics academic program that would…
Meet Jessica Levy
Innovative Artistry
John Berry
Success and accomplishment flow from the challenging work done in the classroom and studio at DePauw…
Meet John Berry
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
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
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
Fostering Personal Connections
Sarah Rowley
What excites me about teaching? Everything! The magic that happens in the classroom is completely dependent…
Meet Sarah Rowley
Endless Curiosity
Marielle Gearding
Theatre. Neuroscience. Creative writing. True crime. Dance. Marielle Gearding ’27 has no shortage of…
Meet Marielle Gearding
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
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
Making the Pitch
Layla Brown-Clark
During an admitted student day, I fell in love with DePauw’s campus as a whole and DePauw’s media-rich…
Meet Layla Brown-Clark
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
Wisdom and Probability
Elisha Amadasu
Growing up in Brooklyn, Elisha Amadasu ’26 identified his intellectual passion at a young age. “Math…
Meet Elisha Amadasu
Transformative Encounters
Molly Madden
What I find impressive about DePauw is its smaller size and breadth of opportunities. In the classroom…
Meet Molly Madden