Annabelle Maltsbarger
What is the most fundamental change you’ve experienced since your time as a first-year student?
My personal fundamental change has to be learning to follow my passions and not what everyone else is doing. Campus is full of thousands of amazing and driven students who are all doing amazing things. Learning that what you are doing is just as great and valuable as the next person is important, especially before entering the broader world.
What non-academic experience at Wake Forest was most meaningful to you?
My time as a volunteer and Team Leader at the WakerSpace has been the best experience of my entire life. Learning every piece of equipment and teaching myself hundreds of new skills, ranging from creative to technical, has been my favorite part of my Wake experience. Our space advisor, Paul Whitner, has been one of the most influential people and mentors in my life and has inspired every student who walks into the space, whether it be their first or 100th time.
What was your favorite class outside your major or minor areas of study and why did it appeal to you?
My favorite class outside of my areas of study was a class called Logic within the philosophy department. This class was filled with hours of logic games and learning how to digest patterns in sentences to find if an argument is valid or invalid. I loved solving each question like a puzzle and finding the missing pieces.
Now that you are a graduating student, what advice do you wish you could have given yourself as an incoming student four years ago?
When entering college, having a starting plan is a great way to approach your first semester, but be prepared for it to change more than once. I had three different ideas for majors throughout my first year, and what I wanted to do post-grad. Learning to accept this change and enjoy that this is a part of life, and the experience helped me enjoy my time more. Finding the organizations you truly love and the field of study you most enjoy takes time and will not happen immediately, so enjoy every day and take them for what they are.