Kj De Jesús

“I would like to go to law school. I am also interested in serving in the Air Force.”

“I would not have gotten very far without my professors. My English and history teachers have helped me with more questions than anyone else on campus. When you find your people, they really take care of you.”

“This is a hard question because I have enjoyed so many classes here — History of the Caribbean, Native American Literature, Greek Religion, Creative Writing, and Politics in Film are all amazing courses. However, I think my heart goes out to my Jazz Literature class. It became a pivotal course not just in my college career, but in my personal life as well.”

“I am heavily active in Poetry Underground, Centrique (Carthage’s student-run literature and arts magazine), English Players, and Mi Gente (if my schedule allows).”

“I am obviously not a STEM major. I seriously struggled in my statistics class. I wish I could love the numbers, but they do not at all love me back.”

“I work in the Office of Performing and Visual Arts as a house manager. Someone may say my majors don’t apply at all to my job, but I am able to explain settings and plots of plays to guests thanks to my history and English background. I have also been in the arts since elementary school — from choir to orchestra and band — I’ve done it all, and that background also helps me communicate with everyone I work with.”

“I have been in Mock Trial as an independent study and performed with the Concert Band, Jazz Ensemble, and Pep Band.”

“I received one of the Kenosha scholarships, and it honestly changed my life. I was able to go to school and not worry about how I was going to pay for it. Finance was a huge burden for me and my family, and the scholarship has given me the room to move forward and go after opportunities I thought I never would have had the chance to.”

“I think some of my favorite memories have happened in Poetry Underground and college classes. My first year was a year of many screens due to COVID-19. But now that we are holding classes in person on campus, I have been able to meet people and make friends.”

“I love any seat I can do homework on that is near a window facing the lake. Aside from that, I love the Ehrler Hospitality Center in the A. F. Siebert Chapel. It is always warm, has a nice lamp, and is stocked with snacks. It’s a great place to work or just read and drink tea.”

“I think my biggest surprise has been how much my life and career choices have changed since I started going to Carthage. I was very strictly English and political science, and now I am studying history and English with a creative writing emphasis. It is not at all what I expected, but exactly what I wanted.”

“I’m pretty sure 8-year-old me would have no idea what I’m still doing in school and wondering why I’m not singing on a stage or driving a bus. But I think she’d be excited for me to be doing something meaningful that brings me happiness.”

“If you like to read and have discussions about history or authors, being an English and history major will give you the tools to really learn about what you love. I was given the chance to learn what I probably would have never encountered in my K-12 education and really dive deep into the topics I like.”

“I chose Carthage because, at the time, COVID-19 was just on the rise, and I wanted to stay closer to family. Carthage gave me an offer I could not pass up.”