Jason Loh

Some people come to college knowing exactly what they want to study, but the broad spectrum of opportunities at Gettysburg helped Jason Loh find a future he didn't expect.

"I came in expecting to become a secondary-school history teacher," Loh said, but fieldwork for a course in Gettysburg's education department led him in a surprising direction. Loh found himself not in a classroom with middle-schoolers, but knee-deep in a wetlands area with excited elementary science students.

Later - through a Gettysburg program that provides stipends to support volunteerism during summer break - Loh designed an enrichment program focused on the Amazonian rainforest for young students at a local community center. "We made recycled paper out of newsprint, we wrote stories about and did research on the rainforest, we studied plants, and we even made origami frogs."

The environment started turning up in other contexts too. "The climate is such an important issue. I kept meeting people who were interested in it, and there are a lot of environmental groups on campus. Living on campus has broadened my horizons so much. One of the great things about a liberal arts college is that you can be exposed to so many ideas and issues." Gradually, Loh began to realize that his future was something other than teaching. "Now I'm planning to take the LSAT and go into environmental law."

The rigorous writing and research required of history majors is great preparation for law school, Loh said, but his Gettysburg experience extends far beyond coursework and career training. For example, as part of a summer internship, Loh accompanied sociology Prof. VoonChin Phua to Singapore to assist in research concerning how Singaporeans of Chinese descent construct their ethnic identities. "Summer programs have been extremely exciting and beneficial for me," Loh said. "I've definitely been able to explore things I wouldn't have considered."

Close collaboration between students and faculty members is a vital part of Gettysburg's culture and is fostered by small class sizes. "We definitely get a lot more personalized attention," Loh said. "There are a lot of opportunities here I wouldn't have had at a larger university. It really feels like more of a community."