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Student Profile: Audree Riddle (2010)
Audree's senior project focuses on the integration of technology and performance in museums. She has been an active member of the Residence Hall Association, and currently serves as an off-campus senator in Associated Student Government and a member of Alpha Phi Omega, a service fraternity. Audree studied in Rome during spring semester of her junior year. She says, "Italy was a life changing experience. It was like being a first year all over again; I was given an opportunity to re-evaluate my interests before beginning my senior thesis by being out of the States. I can say with confidence I am happy with my project's foci."
I knew too well what I wanted, but there was no major to accomplish my goals. Western gave me the opportunity to decide my own education and graduate with the knowledge I need to succeed in my field.
What helped you choose the Western College Program?
At orientation I discovered that the two subjects I wanted to major in, history and computer science, meant that I would have to take a credit overload every semester in order to finish in four years. I was fortunate enough to have an orientation leader who directed me east to Western Campus. After meeting with Charles, the assistant dean at the time, I realized that this obstacle in my coursework was not because I did not know what I wanted to do. I knew too well what I wanted, but there was no major to accomplish my goals. Western gave me the opportunity to decide my own education and graduate with the knowledge I need to succeed in my field.
What were some of the surprises that you encountered as you settled in the community?
Everyone has different interests and backgrounds, but the community is so inclusive we are able to grow as academics and as individuals with one another. There was some hesitation on my part about taking classes and living with the same people 24/7, and there are many road bumps to overcome because not everyone gets along, but you eventually find your place.
I have many different groups of friends and social circles because of my activities, but my best friends are from Western. We have very dynamic personalities and have varied opinions on current issues, politics, lifestyles and future desires. However, the common trait we are all share is openness.
As part of the Western community, I discovered my own views and learned how to stand up for them, to embrace the different perspectives of my peers and, most importantly, to respect them.
The faculty is not only supportive academically but they join the students in outings, special events, community dinners, and for lunch before or after class ... I knew the professors were there for me ... because they had a personal relationship with me, I was not just another name on a roster.
What have you enjoyed most about Western?
The community. There is a lot to say about having a support system of students and faculty who know exactly what you are going through.
It is amazing how some who come to the community never leave, like Chris Myers, now a professor in the program. During what I believe was the most dreaded course in the program, Nature of Human Nature, Chris was able to empathize and sympathize with us because he once sat exactly where we were.
The faculty is not only supportive academically but they join the students in outings, special events, community dinners, and for lunch before or after class. Because of the intimate setting in classes, I never got lost. I knew the professors were there for me. They would refer to my area of study and ask for my opinion on different occasions, because they had a personal relationship with me, I was not just another name on a roster.
Reflecting upon your time at Western, what have you learned and what do you think the value has been?
Western allowed me to grow in my own way. The program provided the resources I needed to learn how to think critically and how to be successful in my studies and in my life. Western prepared me to gain knowledge. I've acquired a great deal of information in all my classes at Miami, but in my Western coursework I take what I've learned and can integrate my skills into all my academic endeavors. In the majority of my non-Western courses, professors teach for the exam. At Western, we embrace learning, which allows me to learn for the sake of learning.
Miami emphasizes the importance of being an "engaged learner." With that in mind, how would you characterize your interaction with your professors and classmates?
There's no escaping learning when you live and learn in the same building as your classmates and where your professors work. I loved the late night discussions in the corridors about our course lessons. Granted, we may not have always had our responses ready for seminar the next day, but we took what we learned in class or in the readings and discussed them at our leisure. Also, I am more engaged with the material in seminars where the professor does not lecture because we are discussing the material together.
Studying in Rome was a great experience. Not only did I take courses that fulfilled requirements, but I also took courses in areas that I had never had an interest in ... My curriculum in Rome encompassed Miami's Philosophy of Learning — being an engaged and active learner.
Have you had research/special opportunities made available to you through Miami, and if so, what was that experience like?
My best experience was studying in Italy and my internship with Explora, the Children's Museum of Rome. I also worked on amazing interactive media projects through the Armstrong Institute, and I'm looking forward to working on another project this year.
Studying in Rome was a great experience. Not only did I take courses that fulfilled requirements, but I also took courses in areas that I had never had an interest in. One of my favorite courses was in Italian politics, an area that I had an interest in after all. Being able to study museums and history in Italy, where you read about a piece of art or an historical event and then the professor would take you there, was amazing. My curriculum in Rome encompassed Miami's Philosophy of Learning — being an engaged and active learner.
[August 2009]