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| Ripon College Red Hawk |
Attending a recent college reunion brought back many fond
memories, as well as rediscovering the benefits of a small college.
Ripon College, founded in 1851, is located in Ripon,
Wisconsin. As a small, private liberal arts college, Ripon has lots to offer the
best and brightest students in the way of individual attention, extracurricular
activities and a personalized education.
Equally impressive is Zach Messitte, the college
president. Starting only his fourth year, Zach, as he likes to be called, has
big ideas for the campus and has set extraordinary expectations. Imagine Tomorrow, the college’s largest
campaign in its history, had a goal of raising $50 million. The campaign
exceeded it goal by $20 million for a total of $70 million.
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| Ripon College Zach Messitte |
A couple more of Zach’s “goals in progress” include reviewing
the curriculum and renovating Storzer Athletic Center, the health, wellness and
athletic facility. When Zach is not teaching a class or taking students to
Italy in the summer, he can be seen buzzing around campus on a powder blue Vespa.
Getting to know the college president and making a personal connection is unlikely
at a big university. But that’s Ripon College! By the way, Zach’s favorite food
is yogurt, and his current favorite physical activity is walking in the nearby prairie.
During the reunion, I even ran into my favorite English professor,
Dr. Douglas Northrup. He is retired but still has a presence on campus.
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| Dr Douglas Northrup |
Attending
a small college has many lifelong benefits that aren’t always obvious at first.
For more information, check out www.Ripon.edu
