#ThisIsDrake

Flexibility to explore interests

“I went to New York City for a J-Term on urban poverty. Before, when someone was homeless I’d want to help, but it was always at a distance. Being close to the people we served helped me see that these people aren’t ‘other’—it made me more compassionate. And the intensity of the J-Term experience forces you to learn and grow and become more adaptable. It’s the class I’ve gotten the most out of—it changed who I am.”

Evelyn Mutagaywa
Actuarial Science, Class of 2017

Learning through service

“As a student, I traveled to the African continent two times—visiting and teaching in Uganda and Ghana—and these experiences changed my life. We were given the opportunity to teach at four schools in the rural village of Asikuma, instructing in classrooms with dirt floors. These children were so eager to learn. It was incredible. Because of my time in Ghana and Uganda, I found my calling: to teach abroad. Drake has opened my eyes to a bigger world.”

Dori Hauser
Elementary Education, Class of 2015

Building a great resume

“I worked as an intern with CBS and helped them set up for the nationally televised debate of Democratic presidential candidates. I’ve met a lot of executive producers and heard their stories about how they got started in their organizations. Those conversations breathed further life into my hopes of becoming a journalist.”

Jake Bullington
News, Class of 2018

Personal mentorship

“My biggest mentor has been Meghan Blancas Baeza, who is director of student leadership programs. She helps lead the Donald V Adams Leadership Institute, which I joined in my sophomore year, and we really connected. She has helped me see myself in leadership, like my current position as Drake student body president, while also helping me deeply connect to my identity as a leader and how being Latina and a woman influence that. She’s played a pivotal role in my experience.”

Thalia Anguiano
Law, Politics, and Society and Public Relations, Class of 2017