Danielle Lauridsen
At Western I am involved in the Chemistry Club, the Academic Leadership Program (ALPS), and also work as a Western Ambassador and intern with the admissions office. So when you visit Western, I may be the one who welcomes you to campus.
This year I am vice president of the Chemistry Club. We do a magic show for the community every year. We’re also going to the American Chemical Society (ACS) conference in San Diego in March. I also TA a general chemistry lab and serve as tutor one night a week for organic chemistry.
As a member of of ALPS, I do a variety of community service projects each year.
I’ve also worked for the admissions office the past three years. I started working as a Western Ambassador and now I’m not only an Ambassador, I also work at the front desk in the Taylor Hall Welcome Center scheduling campus tours. I just started an internship working as the counselor visit coordinator. We have four high school counselor visit days in the spring semester and I’m in charge of organizing those. I’ve really enjoyed working with the admissions staff and it has helped me improve my organization and communication skills immensely.
One thing I learned since coming to Western is how to manage doing well in school, with making time to work and play on top of that. I have to work to afford school, and I also love snowboarding and enjoying all of the recreational activities in the Gunnison Valley. It’s hard to do, but I wouldn’t have it any other way!
What sets Western apart from other colleges are the opportunities available to students -- whether that opportunity is exploring the outdoor activities to finding internships and careers after Western. We have the opportunity to succeed.
My favorite professors at Western are all of my chemistry professors -- Anne and Jarral Ryter, Jason Mullins and Dale Orth. They make classes entertaining and are available when I need help. They even know me on a personal level, so I can talk to them about more than just the classes I’m in.
After graduation, I plan to attend pharmacy school for another four years.
The one Western experience I will always remember will be falling off my bike down the stairs on the very first day of school. I was with two of my best friends and they still make fun of me for it.
At Western, I've connected with my professors and built friendships for life.
