There is so much that students can do to get involved at Gettysburg College, and that’s true for first-years too! Within my first semester at Gettysburg, I was already involved with a few clubs and organizations on campus. Gettysburg provides numerous opportunities for students to become involved, and I’m going to detail some of them here.
- Clubs
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At Gettysburg, I am the Editor-in-Chief for Her Campus, News Editor for The Gettysburgian (our on-campus newspaper), Lead Ambassador for The Women’s Network (a national organization connecting women for networking experiences), and Head Editor for the Nonfiction Genre of The Mercury (our literary magazine on campus). These clubs have allowed me to meet so many people on campus, and it has also given me the chance to explore interesting topics and experiences. All of these clubs have also given me the opportunity to start as a general member and work my way up to higher positions, and it is such a gratifying experience to gain higher leadership roles. Plus, these positions look great on resumes!
- Center for Global engagement (CGE)
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I studied abroad during the Fall of 2022 in the UK. I studied for three weeks in London and then spent the remainder of my time at Lancaster University. CGE is an office on campus that was able to organize this experience for me (and answer my abundance of questions). All of my credits from my semester abroad will apply to my degree at Gettysburg College, and this is something that not all colleges can offer. I was able to travel around the UK, France, Ireland, and Scotland during one semester, and I am very grateful for the experiences I had and lessons I learned. I’ve written more about my experience studying abroad in a previous article. I would highly recommend studying abroad in college, and CGE makes it easier to do so!
- Center for Career engagement (CCE)
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CCE is a resource to help you prepare for interviews, find internships, discuss future career plans, and more. They also offer trip opportunities that allow you to travel somewhere and learn about a specific career field and make networking connections with prominent people. I was able to participate on CCE’s Orlando Trek this past winter break. This gave me and a group of Gettysburg students the opportunity to explore Orlando theme parks while learning about the marketing and brand strategy behind the companies. We met with people from The Walt Disney Company, Universal, Coca-Cola, Legoland, and Sea World. It was a wonderful experience, and I am thankful for all the people I met over the course of this trip!
- Eisenhower Institute
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I have participated in one of the Eisenhower Institute’s programs: Women and Leadership. This program allowed me to meet a large group of female students on campus, and I got the chance to learn from guest speakers about the struggles women can face in various career fields. At the end of the semester, we got the chance to take a trip to Washington, D.C. This trip allowed us to tour the capital, meet with Gettysburg alumnae who are now working in the D.C. metro area, and work on cultivating networking skills. This program was a great way to meet new people on campus (who I am still in contact with) and to work on skills that will stay with me after graduating from Gettysburg.
- Jobs
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I have worked a few different jobs on campus. In the past, I have been a Math PLA. Currently, I work at the library’s checkout desk and the campus’ Writing Center. These have been amazing opportunities to connect with different organizations and departments on campus, and it’s helpful to gain a bit of money while in school. I also am currently in an internship with The Gettysburg Review, a literary journal that is published by Gettysburg College. These opportunities are one of the ways that Gettysburg promotes further engagement with the campus and its organizations.
These are only some of the ways that students can get involved at Gettysburg College, and whether you are a returning student or an incoming first-year, there is something here that can cater to your interests… or maybe you want to try something out of your wheelhouse!