Riley Acton ’15

Ursinus shaped my development as a person and as a scholar in more ways than I could possibly list. Academically, it offered me a broad and engaging liberal arts education that taught me how to think for myself, how to view the world through different lenses, and how to creatively solve problems across a variety of disciplines. The Math and Computer Science Department, in particular, provided me with a rigorous mathematics foundation and challenged me to tackle subject areas outside of my comfort zone. This proved fruitful in my Ph.D. program as graduate-level economics relies heavily on real analysis, linear algebra, and probability and statistics theory.

But personally, and perhaps more importantly, Ursinus gave me an incredible community that let me grow into the person I wanted to be and instilled in me the confidence to take on any challenge the world has to offer.

Take advantage of all the resources you have available to you. The faculty and staff at Ursinus truly care about your success and are incredibly willing to help you in any way they can. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and take the time to get to know your professors outside of the classroom. You might find that they lead you to open doors you never even knew existed!

I support UC because I want current and future students to have the same transformative opportunities that I did. Some of my favorite memories as an Ursinus student include: participating in both the Summer Fellows and honors research programs; winning our regional championship with the gymnastics team during my senior year; taking multiple trips to New York with the CIE Fellows; and spending time with friends on this beautiful campus. UC is a truly special place and I hope that all students are able to have as great as an experience as I did.