Students like Jocelyn Little ’25 broaden their knowledge and skills at Gettysburg College through academics, co-curricular activities, and dynamic faculty-student research projects.
As a fourth-generation Gettysburg College student, Jocelyn Little ’25 felt her path to Gettysburg was shaped not only by her family but also through the College’s community. At Gettysburg, she found her place to get involved in music and travel abroad. Little grasped opportunities with both hands, becoming the social chair of College Choir, pursuing animal research on a remote island in Maine, and fostering her passion for community service.
From a young age, her family always encouraged Little to get involved in as many activities as possible. After being placed into a music program at a young age, Little continued to foster a love for vocal performance throughout her schooling, and the Sunderman Conservatory of Music drew Little to Gettysburg. Participating in the Conservatory gave her the opportunity to continue her interest in music throughout college and pursue a major in environmental studies.
“It’s more so for me about the joy of singing and the people you get to meet. A lot of people who are in choir aren’t necessarily music majors and minors. They’re also just there for a good time,” said Little.
“At Gettysburg, I have truly enjoyed getting to build relationships and grow alongside community members.”
– Jocelyn Little ’25
Little spent a lot of time in Sea Isle City, New Jersey, with her family. As a coastal New Jersey city, Sea Isle City has a population of brackish water turtles that must cross from the bay over several roads to get to the beach. To prevent them from getting hit by cars, Little and her grandfather would often drive around the area, moving turtles off the road. That experience inspired her love for animals.
Upon reading about a Research Fellowship in the lab of Environmental Studies Prof. Tasha Gownaris ’09 during her first year at Gettysburg, she knew it was the right program for her.
After learning more about the program from Gownaris and passing course requirements, Little spent her summers on Petit Manan Island, Maine. Three miles off the coast and secluded from civilization, Little worked with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, collecting data about seabirds on the island as well as handling, tagging, and banding the birds.
“I loved being a part of a project that had been going on for over 40 years, being a part of collecting data and a long-term project, helping different projects that will shed light on how climate change is affecting seabirds and seeing how the populations are changing since the project started,” she said.
Little had consistently demonstrated community service even before arriving at Gettysburg, and she brought her passion for community service to the College. As a longtime volunteer for Susquehanna Service Dogs and member of Girl Scouts, Little whelped 13 puppies from two litters, in addition to caring for them and developing their socialization skills to become good service dogs. She raised one dog, Summit, herself, training her to become a service dog at 8 weeks old.
“From a young age, it was ingrained in me to give back to the community, and it’s always fun. Community service has always been a constant. At Gettysburg, I have truly enjoyed getting to build relationships and grow alongside community members,” said Little.
On campus, Little volunteered with the CASA swimming program through the Center for Public Service (CPS), teaching children in the community how to swim. Introduced to the program through her friends in the Eisenhower Scholars program and CPS program services, Little found that volunteering with CPS has been a great way to get involved with the greater Gettysburg community beyond campus.
“It’s so cool because you start with kids who are terrified of the water, and then by the end of the semester, they’re swimming laps. It’s a skill that’ll help them for the rest of their life,” she said. “In the moment, I’m not thinking about that. I just spend an hour and a half in the pool with a little kid who just wants to have a good time. It brings you a lot of joy.”
Make your impact at Gettysburg by getting involved in the campus life of our community.
Related Links:
External Links:
By Katie Lauriello ’25
Main photo by Diptiman Das ’27; in-text photos provided by Jocelyn Little ’25
Posted: 05/16/25