Annie Keller ’20

What drew you to Lake Forest College?
The faculty at Lake Forest are unmatched. The small class sizes give students a lot of individual attention as well as mentorship opportunities with faculty. The student community here is also an extremely caring one; we hold each other accountable while celebrating each others’ successes.

Have you had experiences here—besides your classes—that have helped prepare you for your future?
Absolutely – through faculty connections at the College, I was able to get a summer internship working as a research intern at the University of Washington in a leading cultural psychology lab! This sharpened my research skills and tested my abilities to both manage data and perform administrative lab tasks. This internship program also hosted grad school seminars/workshops where we practiced writing personal statements and learning more about the application process. Living in my own apartment in Seattle for an entire summer also helped me learn how to live on my own and be an adult. In addition, my work in the office of Admissions here have pushed my professional development to the max through opportunities like the Student Admissions Specialist internship and being the VP of the Ambassador program.

How are you handling the sudden change and transition to online learning?
It’s been difficult, but having such small classes make transitioning much easier. Small classes also allow you to get closer to professors, all of whom have been consistently checking in on me not only as a student, but making sure my family and I are adjusting to this and feeling sane. If anything, this crazy transition has been a testament to how much the faculty here actually care about their students. During this time, I am reminding myself to be patient with myself and others – this isn’t a time to be the most productive, rather to be vigilant and calm.

What do you do in your free time (before the COVID-19 pandemic)?
Before quarantine, I loved hiking and traveling/exploring new places (like new spots in Chicago I haven’t visited yet!) I also spend my time reading non-fiction (memoirs, research, biographies, etc), making my way through my endless movie list, and playing hefty RPGs. Most of which are all very quarantine-friendly activities, thankfully!

What are your plans after graduation?
I will be working at the Office of Admissions here as an Admissions Counselor! In the future, I hope to go to graduate school. No matter what my life looks like in 5 years, I know I want to be working with and serving students, either through Higher Education or research.

Any advice for new Foresters?
You’ll often hear people tell you that going to college, a place where for maybe the first time in your life that nobody knows who you are, is a chance to reinvent yourself. I say you should be authentically yourself, flaunt your strange hobbies and your interests. You’ll fall in with your people right away the more honest you are about yourself. Also, try attending club meetings hosted by the diversity groups on campus (PRIDE, Latinos Unidos, United Black Association, UMOJA, Muslim Student Association, etc.).

What has been your favorite memory at Lake Forest College?
I genuinely have countless favorite memories from my time here, but of the most recent, I set up a friend group Valentine’s Day get-together where we ordered in Chinese food and watched movies and played games all together. Most of us are seniors, so we spent a fair bit of time staying up late reflecting on the past 4 years and discussing our plans after school, then we all drove to Taco Bell at 2am before calling it a night.

Parting words?
Don’t take your time in college for granted. You are going to do amazing things while here and beyond college if you jump into opportunities and support your fellow students.