Hometown: Chicago, IL
Major/Minor: Psychology and History
Email: nmendia@middlebury.edu
On-campus Activities: Mchaka Mchaka, MCAB (Middlebury College Activities Board), Tour Guide Coordinator, Posse Scholar
Commons: Ross
Why did you choose Middlebury?
Have you ever inched your way up to a pool you just know is cold and hesitated going in before you realized the best way is to just jump? Yeah. I never had that feeling being on the Middlebury campus. It just always felt like a warm, comforting pool to me that I could dive on into without fear of freezing to death or drowning. It was a really positive feeling. I also tell people that I could have lived in New York or LA any time of my life, but that choosing Midd was really the only time I could ever see myself living in beautiful-middle-of-nowhere-Vermont (I say that fondly).
Did you study abroad? Or are you planning to go abroad?
Nope! Middlebury is my study abroad.
Favorite study spot on campus?
Greenhouse in BiHall. This is especially ideal in the winter months when it’s 0 degrees outside and the greenhouse is at least 60 degrees.
Favorite class or professor at Middlebury (or both)?
I went through a Midd Life crisis after freshman year, and scrapped half of my classes for new ones in September. They were both History courses, and one was called the Middle East since 1453. Without really realizing exactly what I was getting into, I signed up and soon had an epiphany. I actually liked learning about History. This was, in part, because of Professor Febe Armanios, head of the Middle Eastern Studies Department at Middlebury. She taught the class, and by the end of the semester, I had signed up for two more History courses with her in the Spring! That class led me to take on a History Minor, which was extremely unexpected but very rewarding to do!
Your biggest challenge adjusting to Middlebury?
Best Proctor Dining Hall creation?
Advice for a prospective student?