STUDENTS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OPPORTUNITIES AT WARTBURG WEST

KAYLA BOEKE, TRUMPET GUEST WRITER

Wartburg West is a campus in Denver, Colorado that is intended to give students a wide variety of experiences and opportunities. Only 40 students at Wartburg traveled and studied at the Denver campus during the 2018 academic year, according to Greg Lorenz, director of the Wartburg West program.

“The most influential thing a student can learn from is experience, which is what Wartburg West is all about,” Lorenz said. Individuals meet with their advisor to plan the most ideal time to partake in the program. After discussing with an advisor, the student applies at https://www. wartburg.edu/west/.

Applications require a resume and a cover letter, as well as two letters of recommendation from faculty at Wartburg. Those who wish to apply also have a meeting with Jo Dorrance, the head of Wartburg West on the Iowa campus.

Second-year students must have a grade point average of 3.0 and upperclassmen must have a 2.5. The due date for applications of summer of 2020, fall of 2020 and winter of 2021 are on Feb, 1. For those who are worried about the cost of the Denver campus, tuition is the same as Wartburg except meal plans are not included.

Wartburg West offers a wide variety of activities, experiences, internships and real word involvement to any student wanting to get outside their comfort zone. Many of the activities are unique to the Denver campus because they are otherwise not found in Iowa, let alone the Waverly campus.

The activities are tailored to the individual and what their personal interests are. Some of the activities are theatre, outdoor recreation, sports, fine dining and random exploration. “My favorite activity was hiking the
scenic areas all around Denver,” Madison Stirling, a third year sociology and psychology double-major at Wartburg, said.

Wartburg West offers the same courses each semester that go towards general education credentials. The program itself is defined by the three pillars; internship or vocation, academic growth, and community engagement.

While studying and taking regular classes, students take on an internship that was chosen for them based on their own personal interests and goals. These internships are purely experience driven and provide an opportunity for students to have a professional work environment on their official resumes. Students stay at the northeast Johnson & Wales University campus just 10 minutes outside of downtown Denver.

These dorms are situated as apartment style living which include; a dining room with a full kitchen, a living area, bathroom, and a shared bedroom. Students are allowed to choose roommates from the pool of other
students attending that semester.

Meal plans are not available to Denver students, in turn, food and grocery shopping is left to the individual. A gymnasium and fitness center is located on the Denver campus as well as parking garages. It is recommended that the student bring a way vehicle, or they are prepared to use public transportation.

It is important that students keep an open mindset when spending those few months in Denver. Students looking for adventure would thrive at the Denver campus.

Wartburg West offers many different opportunities, activities, experiences, internships and real-world involvement for any student wanting to get out of their comfort zone. Students who plan to attend Wartburg West need to apply in the year before they travel.

Applications for Wartburg West are facilitated on a first come first serve basis. For more information about Wartburg West, contact Lorenz at gregory.lorenz@ wartburg.edu.