Finding Success in her own Back Yard: Kim Wennerberg ’11
Her first semester at an out-of-state college wasn’t all Kim Wennerberg ’11 had hoped it would be, so she returned to her home in West Hartford uncertain of her next move. “I thought I would take a few courses at St. Joe’s until I figured out what I wanted to do, “ she said. “But pretty much as soon as I started, I fell in love with the place.”
Needless to say, Wennerberg has been here every since. She is a commuter student majoring in Psychology and taking full advantage of the College’s leadership opportunities. “I’m surprised at how involved I am in campus life and how much I’ve changed,” she said. “I definitely wasn’t the leadership type before, but now I can’t imagine being anything else.”
So how did this change come about? Wennerberg attributes it to the mentoring relationships between faculty and students and the women’s-only environment. “To tell you the truth, that surprised me,” she said. “I didn’t expect to like the ‘women only thing’ as much as I do. There’s just so much freedom and opportunity here because we don’t have to compete to be heard.”
Likewise, she appreciates the SJC classroom dynamics: “The professors know who you here — not just your name, but who you are as a person, what you want to achieve in life.”
Over the past three years, Wennerberg has been involved in a variety of campus leadership programs. She serves on the executive board of SPEC (Student Planning and Event Council), is a student ambassador for the Admissions office, an Orientation leader and a Peer Mentor.
“I’m very excited about working as a Peer Mentor. I’ll be in Professor Rondinone’s First-year Seminar and will be helping new students adjust to college life,” she said. That type of program is typical to SJC, Wennerberg says: “The level of support you get here is great and it really makes a difference. I’d tell anyone considering St. Joe’s that this is a great place to grow as you prepare for the adult world. You’ll discover what you are successful at and learn how to navigate through life.”
