There are numerous degree options at Andrews University that students can choose to major in. Based on their interests, career goals, and future plans, these undergraduate students gave us a brief outline of what they chose to study and why. Read below to take a deeper look into various students and their chosen majors!
Reagan McCain (freshman, history)
The decision to study history came naturally as I first gravitated towards the subject in school but soon pursued it outside the classroom in my everyday life. Some see the field as tedious and stuffy, but I believe history is an active and breathing thing, forever alive in our current moment. The humanities can be looked down upon as if they are "frivolous" pursuits of passion, and while I and everyone else I know who are devoted to its studies are certainly passionate about the material, it's far from a hobby. It's work–a very necessary and often arduous kind of work. History provides the context required to understand the present, and without it, we stand no chance of tackling modern issues. How can we possibly deconstruct and solve problems without understanding their origins and plan for the future without learning past lessons? The shared belief in the importance of history is my favorite thing about my department, and it reflects in how my professors teach. With my major, I'm considering either going on to earn my doctorate to do research or going the pre-law route and specializing in labor or immigration law.
Andrew Pak (sophomore, music)
People always say follow your “passion” or “do whatever puts the bread on the table,” but to be frank, I’ve never felt any kind of assured supernatural calling to pursue music, nor did I choose it as a potentially lucrative enterprise. Music is merely a part of life, the same way breathing and eating and sleeping is, so to pursue it as a field of study and step deep into the world of music is the same as stepping into life itself. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who doesn’t listen to music. Aside from the philosophical stuff, the program is wonderful because of both the great faculty with their mad skills and the spirit of community/collaboration. I think every single music major I’ve met is a unique individual who surpassed my expectations of “average”; we’re all a little insane, and I love that. Looking to the future after graduation, I have absolutely no definite idea of what I’m going to do with my life, but I have many options, including teaching, performing, accompanying, composing, producing, directing, playing the organ for churches, or all of the above, as I know many musicians choose to do.
Jeannshy Erazo (sophomore, psychology)
I have always loved digging deeper. I believe life is about people: the relationships you create and the community you’re a part of. I chose psychology because I’ve always wanted to know why we work the way that we do. I love that it teaches me essentially how to be a better human. I believe we cannot love to our fullest capacity until we understand what we are loving. Psychology is the gateway to human understanding. I hope to eventually become a psychiatrist. I want to be able to look deeper than just feelings and see what internal factors can be causing the external consequences. I love that the professors here at Andrews are passionate about what they’re teaching. They make me more and more excited about my career path every day.
Benjamin Kwon (sophomore, Spanish)
With the growing population of people who speak Spanish in America, it is a very practical language to know (especially going into the medical field). I’ve always been intrigued by all of the different traditions of Hispanic culture and I hope to be able to do mission work in a Spanish-speaking country some day. I appreciate the opportunities that my major provides, such as studying abroad and summer study tours, as well as the friendly community of the department and workers there. It provides me a safe space to practice the language without feeling judged and I believe that is one of the most crucial components for someone who is beginning to learn any language. Past university, I don’t plan on taking many more Spanish courses, but I will use it in the workplace and hopefully in my regular day-to-day life as well.
Jaden Leiterman (sophomore, medical laboratory sciences)
Knowing that I have always wanted to pursue a career in the medical field, medical laboratory sciences, or MLS, seemed a perfect fit. As a stepping stone for those wanting to strive for medical school, and a job position that is in very high demand today, MLS has provided a balance between both biology and chemistry, with direct and real-life applications to the clinical setting. This has allowed me to pursue minors in both subjects as well. Some of my favorite things about the program, aside from the close relationships that are formed within the major, are the professors that provide not only mentorship but are your friends and want you to succeed wherever MLS may take you, and the flexibility it provides to take classes outside of the major. It is a major that is full of exploration in different areas of the laboratory and beyond, and it allows students to take advantage of this by working closely with one another in and outside of MLS. As for after Andrews, I plan to pursue medicine, further utilizing what I have learned and experienced by means of medical school, in hopes of becoming an anesthesiologist.
Minseo Kang (junior, mathematics)
I know mathematics is not the most popular subject for everyone. Math is hard, sometimes tedious, and seems detached from the physical world. However, I realized that math is present in every aspect of our lives. I have always been interested in pursuing a career in medicine and was searching for a major to accompany it. At first, I chose mathematics because I had the easiest time with it in high school. However, while taking pre-medicine courses, I found out that many of the other sciences applied mathematical concepts. In my experience, physics was applied math, chemistry was applied physics, and biology was applied chemistry. This placed math as the base to all of the STEM subjects. Mathematics also taught me patience and a different way of thinking that boosted my ability to study the courses required for pre-medicine. By enhancing my skills of logic and reasoning, mathematics has also helped me in solving real-world problems. I believe that studying math has broadened my way of thinking and will be a real help in the future as I pursue my dream.
Isabella Rappette (junior, finance)
Growing up surrounded by family members and friends in the medical field, I felt drawn towards pursuing a similar career. However, as I got older, my passion for wanting to help others was not leading me to the medical side of the healthcare field. My mother is the manager of a podiatry medical practice. Watching her run the practice inspired me to look into the business side of healthcare, and by doing this, I decided that I wanted to pursue a career in healthcare administration. I chose to study finance specifically because of the skills that it will allow me to leave Andrews with, giving me many opportunities and paths to achieve my goal of being in the upper healthcare administration of a company. I enjoy math and studying the different parts of the economy, but most of all I look forward to being able to help others by working with people behind the scenes to make that physical help possible. Whether or not I end up in healthcare administration, I appreciate that studying finance will give me unique and versatile knowledge that is applicable to many different fields of business.
Anthony Kang (junior, business administration)
I am a junior at Andrews University majoring in business administration as well as minoring in chemistry, while having a pre-profession in pre-dentistry. I chose my major because of the ever-growing demand for business knowledge for future dentists. By understanding how a business works, I am reassured that my future career as a dentist will be secure since I will have knowledge of how to run my own practice. Classes such as Accounting 1 and 2 are extremely beneficial in understanding a business, especially all of the expenses and incomes associated with one. I currently have no plans on further expanding my knowledge on business after graduation; however, the information that I will have gained during my time at Andrews will be utilized during my time after dental school when I will have to run my own practice.
Joshua Pak (senior, biochemistry)
I’ve always been curious about how the world around me works and found that biochemistry was able to give me answers to a lot of the questions that I had. Biochemistry is a unique major in that although you do get the nitty-gritty chemistry concepts, you are able to apply and utilize these principles on biological systems in a very discernible way; this gives me an extremely holistic outlook on every aspect of life. Probably my favorite thing about the program is the community that it attracts. The professors are all so awesome and willing to work with you to ensure your success in their classes, and my cohort has given me an incredible amount of support throughout my time in the labs and my studies. I’ve definitely made friendships and mentors that have influenced me to grow in ways and directions that I honestly did not expect from my time at Andrews. My future goals after I graduate are fairly flexible, but as of now, I’m planning on entering pharmaceutical research, though I hope to teach at the college level later on in life.
Keegan Fossmeyer (senior, theology)
Coming to Andrews, I had a dream of becoming a mechanical engineer and designing cars and car parts for an automotive agency. After spending a year in the engineering program and realizing that design software, computers, and myself don’t mesh well, I started exploring other options. It was then that I felt a desire to do more than just work for a company or corporation. I wanted to do something in ministry. After talking with several mentors of mine consisting of youth pastors I had growing up, I made the choice to switch to theology and haven’t looked back. It wasn’t the easiest choice, as being a spiritual leader is still something that terrifies me to this day, but I found a home within the department. The teachers truly are the best part in that they take time to invest in you, learn about your life while sharing theirs, and genuinely struggle through hardships with you. I have never felt as connected with my teachers as I have taking classes in the theology department. I hope to take this skill of being vulnerable and connecting with others into my future job in the church. I don’t know whether or not I will be working as a youth pastor or as a district pastor, but I do know that my eventual goal is to work as a youth conference director and run a summer camp for the church.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.