Kurt Mathisen ’15 knew he was home the moment he first stepped foot on campus.

“It simply felt right,” he said. “I knew from the beginning that Gettysburg would be the best place to spend the next four years of my life.”

Excited about the potential academic and co-curricular opportunities ahead of him, he applied early decision to Gettysburg College. Once on campus, he didn’t wait long to declare a psychology major and German minor. “One of the reasons I came to Gettysburg was to get a liberal arts view of psychology,” said Mathisen, who plans to include an international component in his undergraduate experience. “I want to study abroad in Leipzig, Germany during my junior year to broaden my view of the world as well as my knowledge of psychology as a science.”

And he didn’t wait long to get involved on campus, either. He’s a member of multiple organizations and involved in numerous activities, including the Honor Commission, the Lincoln Intermediate Unit Migrant Tutoring program, and the Center for Public Service. Even though this student leader has kept busy filling his plate with co-curricular activities, he still finds time to study. And visit Servo.

Mathisen began planning for his summer before the first semester ended after applying to a competitive internship program. “I was offered a summer internship with LifeSpan Neuropsychology Rehabilitation Services as their very first freshman intern,” he said. “I’ll be conducting neuropsychological examinations that will help aid clients’ treatment during their rehabilitation process.”

He’s also thinking beyond summer and what he wants to do three years from now, after he’s received his degree. “I plan to attend graduate school,” he said. “Although I haven’t figured out all of the details yet, I know Gettysburg’s liberal arts education will help me expand my horizons and zero in on my true interests, helping me become what I aspire to be.”

Founded in 1832, Gettysburg College is a highly selective four-year residential college of liberal arts and sciences with a strong academic tradition that includes Rhodes Scholars, a Nobel laureate and other distinguished scholars among its alumni. The college enrolls 2,600 undergraduate students and is located on a 200-acre campus adjacent to the Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania.

Contact: Tracey Dukert, assistant director of news content, 717.337.6521