Roseville, Minn.
Chemistry

Service learning: Planned a trip for seven friends and two dads to New Orleans to gut houses and help with clean-up.

What she's loving about small-town life: Being able to walk everywhere--"Fall break was the first time in two months I'd been in a car!"

Leah wasn't considering Luther until her mom suggested she visit. She loved the campus and immediately put Luther on her short list. By January of her senior year, she knew Luther was where she wanted to be.

"Luther was just more me; it fit me--the people, the setting, the science and music programs--and I was excited about the new science building."

She will certainly be spending a lot of time there. Leah is hoping to combine her love for kids and her love for chemistry with a career in pediatric medicine. But, she says, "If that doesn't happen, I would be happy being a chemist. I've just always liked chemistry."

She's also an accomplished musician, currently playing flute in Luther's Wind and Percussion Ensemble." Band is the highlight of my day" says Leah. "It's so fun to play music with people who are really good."

As a first-year student, she's discovered that finding a balance between homework, socializing and time for herself ("so I can stay sane") is her biggest challenge. But she loves the freedom of being able to make her own schedule and is enjoying a new level of independence.

"I call my parents more than I thought I would," she admits, "but I definitely haven't been homesick. I love dorm life."

If you want to learn more about how Leah's first year is going, check out her blog at http://norsenotesleah.blogspot.com/.