Student profile: Funto Okanla
Gustavus Adolphus College
Reprinted from the Higher Ground newsletter (Dec. 2007)
On a beautiful fall morning, I drove up the hill to the exciting screams of Gustie Greeters welcoming me to what would be my home for the next 3½ years. Did I even want to be a Gustie? Unlike most high school seniors, I just picked Gustavus out of the blue. I had no idea what to expect. I remember feeling a little overwhelmed, wondering how I ended up in a college full of overachievers, but I would not trade my experience here for anything else.
I have enjoyed being challenged and constantly active during the past three years. I have tried to seize every opportunity to stay involved in student organizations. I have had the opportunity to develop and enhance useful skills through my involvement in the International Cultures Club, the Campus Activities Board, the Gustavus chapter of Amnesty International, and other groups. One of the highlights of my time here at Gustavus has been my yearly participation in track and field. It has been an important tool in my personal development and will be hard to give up.
As a student I find myself spending endless hours in the library, but whenever I’m not studying or being involved in other activities, I enjoy catching up on episodes of Prison Break. The challenges I’ve faced on campus, mistakes made, skills gained, and lifelong friendships I’ve made have all been instrumental in making my college experience memorable.
After I graduate in December, I will be working as an auditor with Ernst and Young LLP. I am looking forward to this experience, as it will be taking me out of Minnesota to the city of Philadelphia, Pa.
Although there are many things and people to be missed, my most cherished and therefore most missed activity will be sledding down the Old Main Hill on caf trays! See you all at the top!
- Augsburg College
- Bethany Lutheran College
- Bethel University
- Carleton College
- College of Saint Benedict
- College of St. Catherine
- College of St. Scholastica
- Concordia College (Moorhead)
- Concordia University (St. Paul)
- Gustavus Adolphus College
- Hamline University
- Macalester College
- Minneapolis College of Art and Design
- Saint John's University
- Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
- St. Olaf College
- University of St. Thomas
Augsburg College
- Located in Minneapolis with abundant opportunities to gain experience both inside and outside the classroom.
- National recognition for an effective first-year program and for combining learning with service.
- Top majors are business, science, teaching
- A diverse community of 3,000 students
Bethany Lutheran College
- Located in Mankato overlooking the Minnesota River Valley
- A community of 540 students -- most live on campus
- Popular majors include business administration, communication, psychology, and elementary education
- Focus is on a solid, Christian education
Bethel University
- Located on a residential, wooded campus in a Twin Cities suburb
- Enrolls 5,600 students in 100 undergraduate, graduate, and seminary programs
- Integrates faith, learning and the translation of Christian belief into global service
- 20 international programs; top 3 percent ranking of students who study in foreign countries
Carleton College
- Residential campus in the small community of Northfield
- Ranked one of the country's top liberal arts colleges
- Noted for its bright and talented students and strong faculty
- Enrollment of 2,000 students of diverse backgrounds
College of Saint Benedict
- Together with Saint John's -- 3,800 undergraduate students have many opportunities
- Located on 3,200 acres of woods and lakes west of St. Cloud
- A focus on globalism includes an extensive international study program
- A commitment to experiential learning, research and internships
College of St. Catherine
- Largest and most comprehensive Catholic college for women in the U.S.
- Beautiful campuses in St. Paul and Minneapolis
- Committed to meeting the educational needs of women of all ages; offers liberal arts, healthcare and professional programs in traditional and weekend formats
- Serves 5,000 students
College of St. Scholastica
- Main campus in Duluth; also in St. Paul, St. Cloud, Brainerd
- Undergraduate and graduate programs in traditional, accelerated and online formats
- Top majors: Health information management, management, education, nursing
- 3,200 students; 1,940 undergraduates on Duluth campus
- U.S. News ranking in top tier of Midwestern universities
Concordia College
- Located in the Fargo-Moorhead metropolitan area that includes 20,000+ college students
- Serves more than 2,700 students
- Top programs include the sciences, education and music
- Recipient of NAFSA Simon Award for Campus Internationalization
- Home of world-renowned Concordia Language Villages
Concordia University
- Located in the St. Paul metro area
- Serves 1,500 undergraduate and 300 graduate students of all ages and backgrounds
- Top majors include Christian education, business and teacher education
- A laptop university with 24/7 Web access
Gustavus Adolphus College
- Oldest Lutheran college in Minnesota; Swedish heritage; home of the Nobel Conference
- Beautiful residential campus located in St. Peter, overlooking the Minnesota River Valley
- Prepares 2,500 undergraduates for lives of leadership, service and lifelong learning
- Recognized science, writing, music, athletics, study-abroad, and service-learning programs
Hamline University
- Ranked first in Minnesota among comprehensive universities according to U.S. News
- 4,400 undergraduate, graduate, and law students
- Located in residential neighborhood of St. Paul
- Intimate environment of small classes and personal attention along with the opportunities of a comprehensive university
Macalester College
- 1,900 undergraduates come from every state and 90 countries
- Located in a friendly St. Paul neighborhood
- Emphasis on global perspectives; more than half study abroad
- Produced many Fulbright and Rhodes scholars
Minneapolis College of Art and Design
- 700 students; 14 majors in fine arts, media and design
- Located next to the Children's Theater and Minneapolis Institute of Arts
- Studio-based and business-oriented programs; BFA, BS and MFA degrees
- Only art and design school to be named a Best Midwestern College by Princeton Review
Saint John's University
- Together with Saint Benedict -- 3,800 undergraduate students have many opportunities
- Located on 3,200 acres of woods and lakes west of St. Cloud.
- A focus on globalism includes an extensive international study program
- A commitment to experiential learning, research, internships
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
- Values-based, results-oriented education in the Catholic, Lasallian tradition
- Outstanding environment for learning, living and recreation
- 400-acre Winona campus in the bluffs of the Mississippi River Valley
- 1,300 traditional undergraduates, with 4,100 graduate and professional students at other locations
St. Olaf College
- Environmentally aware, 300-acre residential campus in historic Northfield
- 3,000 students; top majors are music, mathematics and the sciences
- Nation's top liberal arts college for study abroad
- College of the Lutheran church -- where conversations about faith are part of daily life
University of St. Thomas
- Minnesota's largest private university with 10,500 students (5,500 undergraduates)
- 95 undergraduate majors
- Main campuses located in a stately St. Paul neighborhood and in downtown Minneapolis (other campuses in Owatonna, Minn. and Rome, Italy)
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