Brett VanDeWostine

“After graduating from Carthage, I plan to become a high school math teacher and a head coach for baseball, basketball, or golf.”

“Faculty members at Carthage are amazing people who care about students. They will not let students slip through the cracks. They will contact you to see how they can best support your personal and academic needs. Carthage is one big happy family because the faculty members make everyone feel like they are at home. Without the support that I have gotten from faculty advisors, admission representatives, athletics staff, and more, I know that I would not be the same student or person.”

“My favorite class so far has been Modern Geometry, taught by Professor Aaron Trautwein. I loved the class because there were only ten students in the class, which allowed Prof. Trautwein to connect with each student. Before diving into the material, the first few minutes of every class included life, club, or sports updates from the students and Prof. Trautwein. I was always focused and engaged during the lecture because Prof. Trautwein is an excellent teacher who knows how to keep lectures fun and interesting — not to mention he has amazing board skills, writing and drawing beautifully. Modern Geometry was my favorite class by far, not because of the material, but because of the connections and fun that my classmates and I had during the semester.”

“I am a member and captain of the men’s golf team. Men’s golf is a growing program I am happy to be a part of. The team has pushed me to new limits on and off the golf course, as all good teams and teammates should. Being on the team has allowed me to create lifelong friends while playing some really cool courses all around the Midwest.

“I am also in the fraternity Delta Upsilon. Delta Upsilon gave me the brotherhood I sought when coming to college. I found a group of guys who loved talking and playing sports and cared about helping the community around them. Delta Upsilon helped me create connections with recent and older alumni who can help me grow both as an undergraduate and future alumni.”

“The toughest class at Carthage so far has been Real Analysis. Real Analysis was the toughest because every action in a problem had to have a theorem definition of the lemma cited as rational. It was not the material that was hard, just the fact that I had to rewire how I explained how I arrived at my answer. While the course was hard, it taught me the importance of being clear and concise when writing mathematical proofs and improved my critical thinking abilities.”

“I was part of a J-Term study tour to South Africa in summer 2022. I spent three days at the Nkume Primary School doing school improvement projects. The group of students and professors who went on the trip installed three ceiling fans and internet, and brought 15 laptops and hundreds of dollars worth of supplies for the school. The memories that I have from those three days with the students and teachers at Nkume are something that I will never forget. After our three days at the school, we spent the other 11 days traveling to several different cities. At each city, we had amazing food, went sightseeing, and made memories to last a lifetime. J-Term is a great opportunity for students that cannot be passed up.”

“I received the NOYCE Scholarship for my junior and senior years at Carthage. Receiving this scholarship meant a lot to me as I would have never applied to it without the help of my faculty advisor, Karin Sconzert. Prof. Sconzert told me about the scholarship and application during one of our classes together. During our conversation, she highly encouraged me to apply for it as I would be an excellent fit for the scholarship. I followed her advice to apply and received $21,000 for my junior and senior years at Carthage. I remember crying tears of joy after I earned the scholarship because it not only helped me pay for school, but also reminded me that everyone at Carthage is one big family.”

“My favorite memory was the men’s volleyball team winning back-to-back national championships on our home court in Tarble Arena. This is my favorite memory because the Carthage community showed up in full force as the entire stands were packed shoulder-to-shoulder, and fans wore all white to support the team. The arena shook as the crowd cheered at each point. It is a memory that I will never forget because I sat in the front row for the entire match.”

“The lakeview conference rooms in David A. Straz Jr. Center are my favorite.”

“The biggest surprise so far has been the connections I’ve made at Carthage. I went to a small high school with two hundred kids, so I knew everyone, and they knew me. I did not think it would be that easy at Carthage, but I was wrong. I can walk down Campus Drive and know five to 10 people I pass by. It is crazy how connected students, faculty, and staff are here at Carthage.”

“8-year-old me would never believe my current study and career path. At a young age, I was all about getting into the major leagues for baseball or going to sports management. Now, I have found a love for teaching mathematics and coaching golf, basketball, and baseball. Although 8-year-old me would not believe the change, it is a change that has allowed me to follow my true dreams of impacting the lives of others.”

“I came to Carthage because the people and campus made Kenosha feel like my home away from home. From the first time I stepped on campus, I knew Carthage was where I wanted to be. Students, professors, and faculty at Carthage are super nice and caring about those around them. You are not a number at Carthage; you are someone with a story and goal. Everyone at Carthage is here to help you achieve your goals and prepare you for life after Carthage, which is what I love most about the campus culture. Coming to Carthage also allowed me to continue my dream of playing a sport in college. I am a fourth-year member and second-year captain of the men’s golf team. Carthage had everything I wanted and more in a college, so I decided to call it home for four years.”