Andrew Kauders

Now that you are a graduating student, what advice do you wish you could have given yourself as an incoming student four years ago?

I would say to slow down and just let college happen. I know that seems sort of vague, but coming into college in the midst of COVID, it was sometimes easy to get bogged down by the slower general pace of our first few semesters. After getting through those first couple semesters, college became what I expected and hoped for it to be, and if I could go back and tell myself anything, I would just remind myself why I wanted to go to Wake in the first place, and to take a deep breath and let it happen.

What was the most rewarding experience you had as a Wake Forest student?

My time with the Ambassadors in Admissions tour guide program has been incredibly rewarding. A fellow tour guide of mine said to me a few weeks back that each time they give a tour, they are reminded of how much they love Wake Forest, and I could not agree more. From my time leading the organization over this semester, and being a guide for the last three years, I have learned so much about our school, met incredible people, and had countless memorable experiences, all the while showing off my school to people who are in the same position I was in just five years ago. It has been a fruitful experience to say the least, and I will certainly miss giving tours when I graduate in May.

What was your favorite class outside your major or minor areas of study and why did it appeal to you?

In the spring of my sophomore year, I took Jazz with Dr. Jacqui Carrasco. A couple of my friends and I signed up for it as our Arts Divisional, but honestly we were in way over our heads. The class was full of music majors or minors (which we were not), but Dr. Carrasco put together one of the most interesting and engaging classes I have ever taken. I was exposed to countless musicians, past and present, and became more of a fan of jazz than I ever would have expected to be. I still find myself listening to the playlists I made for the class while I work, even though I took the class nearly two years ago.

What song or songs will always remind you of your time at Wake Forest? Why?

I would probably say “Heaven” or “Velvet Sky” by Los Lonely Boys. My junior year, these were a couple songs my friends and I all really liked, and a few of them ended up forming a band and we would all hang out in their suite and listen to them jam and play parts of the songs. I have so many great memories associated with the songs, and will certainly remember listening to them for years into the future.

What non-academic experience at Wake Forest was most meaningful to you?

I would say that being part of the winning Hit the Bricks team during my Junior year was most meaningful. My fraternity had also won the year before, but this year in particular was super meaningful because one of our fraternity brothers had beaten cancer only weeks before the event. The experience of being able to raise money, run laps and ultimately win the competition in honor of our friend and brother was an experience that truly cannot be topped, and the sense of togetherness we all felt after accomplishing this was unparalleled.