Vinton, Iowa
Chemistry

An impressive swimmer: Michael is a two-time national meet qualifier in both the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke. He received All-America honorable mentions in the 100-yard breaststroke two years in a row and holds school records in the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke.

Favorite author/books: Nicholas Sparks, author of The Notebook, A Walk to Remember, and several other novels. Michael says, "I like his books because they focus on characters that find true love. It gives me hope for that someday."

A second minor: Michael has already declared a math minor, but is also considering religion. "I think it's interesting to learn about other cultures and their religion, and study the various denominations of the Christian faith," says Michael.

Although Michael spends at least 15 hours swimming each week (not including meets), he believes it helps keep him organized. "When an activity takes up that much time, you have to practice good time management to get all of your academic work done," says Michael. "I also like how it keeps me in shape and provides me with a good group of friends."

Michael chose to study chemistry at Luther because he eventually hopes to become a chemical engineer. "Everything is made from chemicals," he says. "It's really the foundation of society. Whether it's clothes, fuel, or the food you eat--chemicals are the basis of all things, and there will always be a need for someone to study them."

It's obvious there are several reasons why Michael chose to go to Luther, but there was a key aspect that clinched his decision. "There are four people in my family who are in college right now, and two of us are at Luther," says Michael. "A strong financial aid package was a major factor in choosing a college. Luther definitely came through for me on that."