Growing up in Norway, it's not surprising that Petter had not heard of Davenport, IA before he was recruited by the SAU swim team in 2019. As a star athlete, history club enthusiast, peer tutor and international student ambassador, Petter dove head first into all that St. Çï¿ûÊÓƵ had to offer. Now, as he reflects on his experience as a Fighting Bee with graduation day nearing, he realizes the one common thread running through all of his wins and successes at SAU - people and relationships.
Q: Why did you choose St. Çï¿ûÊÓƵ?
A: I wouldn't be here if I hadn't built an immediate strong connection with coach Rob "Ski" Miecznikowski. I was especially excited to play a role in building the SAU swim program in its early years, but I also knew I wanted to be at a small university with smaller class sizes. I had changed my career plans several times in high school, so I was confident SAU's liberal arts approach would open doors for me and aid in my academic development. I was originally only planning to pursue a degree in history. After being exposed to many other fields in my general education courses here, I ended up adding a double major in political science and a minor in philosophy. SAU helped me discover my true passions.
Most of all though, I think what makes Ambrose feel so unique is the small, enclosed community that we have here - how personal you can get with your instructors and professors, how well you can get to know your peers, how accessible so many resources are for you. You have the opportunity to be exposed to so many things and you really feel as though you are actively taken care of and looked out for. Many other campuses have great resources, but here you get exposed to this ‘Ambrosian Spirit' through countless people who genuinely want to see you succeed on a deep, personal level.
Q: You mention the "Ambrosian Spirit". How would you define what that means to you?
A: I think community is the word that comes to mind. The encouragement of uniting in our diversity is really at the core of what it means to be an Ambrosian, like putting all of our unique backgrounds, knowledge, skills, experiences and perspectives into this bucket and mixing it together. It's about asking, "what can I bring to the table?" It sounds cliché, but it's true. Everyone is welcomed and encouraged to bring their authentic selves to the table so we can collectively learn and share and grow together for a better future.
Growing up in Norway, it's not surprising that Petter had not heard of Davenport, IA before he was recruited by the SAU swim team in 2019. As a star athlete, history club enthusiast, peer tutor and international student ambassador, Petter dove head first into all that St. Çï¿ûÊÓƵ had to offer. Now, as he reflects on his experience as a Fighting Bee with graduation day nearing, he realizes the one common thread running through all of his wins and successes at SAU - people and relationships.
Q: Why did you choose St. Çï¿ûÊÓƵ?
A: I wouldn't be here if I hadn't built an immediate strong connection with coach Rob "Ski" Miecznikowski. I was especially excited to play a role in building the SAU swim program in its early years, but I also knew I wanted to be at a small university with smaller class sizes. I had changed my career plans several times in high school, so I was confident SAU's liberal arts approach would open doors for me and aid in my academic development. I was originally only planning to pursue a degree in history. After being exposed to many other fields in my general education courses here, I ended up adding a double major in political science and a minor in philosophy. SAU helped me discover my true passions.
Most of all though, I think what makes Ambrose feel so unique is the small, enclosed community that we have here - how personal you can get with your instructors and professors, how well you can get to know your peers, how accessible so many resources are for you. You have the opportunity to be exposed to so many things and you really feel as though you are actively taken care of and looked out for. Many other campuses have great resources, but here you get exposed to this ‘Ambrosian Spirit' through countless people who genuinely want to see you succeed on a deep, personal level.
Q: You mention the "Ambrosian Spirit". How would you define what that means to you?
A: I think community is the word that comes to mind. The encouragement of uniting in our diversity is really at the core of what it means to be an Ambrosian, like putting all of our unique backgrounds, knowledge, skills, experiences and perspectives into this bucket and mixing it together. It's about asking, "what can I bring to the table?" It sounds cliché, but it's true. Everyone is welcomed and encouraged to bring their authentic selves to the table so we can collectively learn and share and grow together for a better future.