Thanks to the tenacity of Alison Norris ’17, Valpo is home to a chamber music ensemble nicknamed the “STEM-quintet,” enabling a group of five individuals with varying interests to incorporate their love for music into their arduous academic schedules. “I chose to attend Valparaiso University for countless reasons — my mother’s alma matter, premier engineering […]
Category: Student Spotlight
Where Faith Meets Passion | Ashley Velasquez ’25 Finds Her Calling in Bioengineering
Since middle school, Ashley Velasquez ’25 has always planned on becoming a nurse. By sixteen years old, she was gaining experience as a certified nursing assistant (CNA), and finding a top-tier nursing program was at the top of her post-high school to-do list. Once she was finally kicking off her freshman year in Valpo’s College […]
CHRISTIAN APPALACHIAN PROJECT SPRING BREAK SERVICE TRIP
At Valpo, our spring break service trips are known for providing students with unforgettable experiences that connect them to their communities, help them understand the world around them through the lens of servitude and grace, and allow them to discover themselves in new environments. We collected student reflections from the Christian Appalachian Project service trip and […]
Creating a Legacy: Montel Hall ’18 blazes own trail academically and athletically
Montel Hall is not one to let the unknown stop him. Whether that entails being a first-generation college student and NCAA Division I athlete, starting a fraternity, or now living and working in the country’s largest city, he is more than willing — and able — to blaze his own trail. At the center of […]
A Computer Scientist’s Tools for Success
Experiential learning opportunities at Valparaiso University helped Cody Packer ’21 develop proficiencies and maximize skills that have prepared him for an empirical career. Recently, Cody completed an internship remotely with OneAmerica, a financial services mutual holding organization based in Indianapolis. “This was my first internship, so I didn’t know what to expect,” Cody says. “Just […]
Discovering Home: Laëtitia Raoult’s ’27 4,000-Mile Journey to Valpo
Valpo student-athlete Laëtitia Raoult ’27 may not have begun her college journey at Valpo — or even in the United States — but she’s always been a Beacon at heart. Her experience both as a transfer and international student serves as a telltale testament to resilience and admirable humility, drawn from her home in Guingamp, […]
A Lifelong Dream: Valpo gives international student opportunity to pursue NCAA Division I Baseball
Each time Louie Baker ’20 takes the field for the Valparaiso University baseball team, he is making a lifelong dream of playing the sport he loves in the United States a reality. The fulfillment of that dream comes with a significant sacrifice for the Gold Coast, Australia, native. “The biggest challenge is not being able […]
Boundless: Katie Willenbrink ’18 Studies the Course and the Stars
Whether it’s in the classroom, at the observatory, or on the golf course, anyone who encounters Katie Willenbrink ’18 is bound to take note of her cool and collected demeanor. That ability to stay calm helps Katie pull off a virtual juggling act as she thrives academically as a physics major and athletically as a […]
Valpo’s One-Year Wonder: MBA Program, Baseball Team Attract Zack Leone ’18 MBA to Valpo for Last Hurrah
A standout season on the Valparaiso University baseball team may have never happened for Zack Leone ’18 MBA if it weren’t for a variety circumstances that came together perfectly, uniting the fifth-year senior first baseman with the Missouri Valley Conference program. Entering the 2017 summer, Zack wasn’t sure where he’d spend his final season of […]
Big-Time Air Time: Valpo Students Get Unrivaled Experience in Sports Broadcasting on ESPN
As a junior at Valpo, Eric Ruzanski ’20 is already a few leagues ahead of the game. Together with VUTV Faculty Advisor Ron Blatz and other key faculty members, he manages a team of 31 students that films University athletic events and streams them to The Valley on ESPN. You can usually find Eric in […]