Jessica Henderson
Hometown: Ramstein, Germany
Lifestyle: Traditional student
Major: Electrical Engineering
Campus activities: IEEE, ballroom dancing lessons
Hobbies: Learning to play guitar, ice skating, playing football with friends
Living overseas in a military family was a double-edged sword for Jessica. On one hand, she got to live around members of the military, which she loved. On the other, it also meant a lot of travel, forcing her to make new friends with each move. Norwich changed all that from the minute she started her first year. Right off the bat she made friends at Norwich that she knew would be her family for the next four years. She found that security “very comforting.”
Like many people, Jessica saw the Northfield campus as picturesque, with the backdrop of Paine Mountain and its deep forest of ever-changing colors. Jessica also saw Norwich as modern institution and knew a 21st-century school was what she needed to pursue her education.
While time with friends is important, Jessica knew her studies were more important and is working hard to excel in class. She has a solid understanding of the topics she's learning now, but knows she'll need help. Like most students, she says she’ll look to the Learning Support Center when that time comes. Beyond just the academic facts, she’s learning that faculty members are teaching her life lessons that inspire her to succeed.
Norwich stood out because it “was the only school that visited her” in Germany. On her later visit to campus, she met with Engineering faculty and was impressed with how honest they were about the challenging coursework and what living up to the reputation of being a Norwich student meant. Just like her new social life, her educational adventure began right away. Before even getting halfway through her first year, Jessica said her EE115 class was building firefighting robots which was “nothing I could have imagined doing as a freshman in college.”
Jessica's future plans include joining the Student Government Association, student Honor Council, and making even more friends both in the cadet and traditional student lifestyles. “Coming here I thought the lifestyles would be more segregated, but I have friends on both sides.” She is not sure what she wants to do with her degree but whatever she does she knows it is her Norwich education that will make it possible.
