When his fingers hit the keys, Alessandro Araujo ’30 becomes one with rhythms and tempos.
Music has always played an important role in Araujo’s life. His proclivity for the piano, which he’s studied and played for more than nine years, helped springboard his talents from his Washington Heights, New York City, hometown to the stage of the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
When it came to choosing a college, Araujo, who graduated from the Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut, knew he wanted to be at a school that offered him the freedom to explore his unique musical and academic interests in political science. That school was Gettysburg College and its Sunderman Conservatory of Music.
“When I visited in person, Gettysburg felt, more than any other school, like the interdisciplinary approach is not just a buzzword. It felt crucial, and that’s important to me,” he said.
While participating in The Gettysburg Experience in April, Araujo recalls feeling like he belonged here. He was greeted by name and introduced not only to the Conservatory, but also to the community of students, staff, and faculty behind the Eisenhower Institute, Political Science Department, and the Majestic Theater.
Gettysburg’s community also surrounded Araujo on Thursday, Aug. 20, when he joined his classmates to participate in the annual First-Year Walk through town to the National Cemetery and Gettysburg Battlefield. During the event, he accepted the key to Gettysburg from Gettysburg Mayor and Public Policy Prof. Alison Lintal on behalf of his class (see photo above).
“Having friends and family cheer me on for the presentation of the key reminded me of exactly why I chose Gettysburg: the people.”
– Alessandro Araujo ’30
This first-year tradition, held during Orientation, commemorates the walk that students and faculty from the College took to hear President Abraham Lincoln deliver his immortal Gettysburg Address on Nov. 19, 1863.
“The ceremony was absolutely gorgeous: the speeches, the assertion of the meaning behind this walk, meeting Mayor Lintal—it was all an incredible honor,” Araujo said. “Having friends and family cheer me on for the presentation of the key reminded me of exactly why I chose Gettysburg: the people.”
As the 2026-27 academic year begins, Araujo looks forward to immersing himself in the daily tempo of living and learning at Gettysburg.
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By Michael Vyskocil
Photo by Alyssa Riegel
Posted: 08/28/26