Getting Involved

Lucy Richman '17

Lucy Richman ’17 

An inspirational high-school teacher taught Lucy Richman ’17 to get involved in issues she’s passionate about. At Dickinson, she's doing just that as an American-studies major and student-journalist who’s involved in Hillel, the Asbell Cooking Club and the Esther Popel Shaw Center for Race & Ethnicity. This semester, Lucy traveled to South Africa as part of a two-week Mosaic trip investigating the intersections of race and education.

Major:

American Studies.

Clubs and organizations:

Kappa Alpha Theta, Hillel, The Dickinsonian, Asbell Cooking Club and Tritons.

Honors/scholarships/awards:

Benjamin Rush Scholarship.

Favorite book:

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling.

Favorite movie: 

The Italian Job.

On choosing Dickinson:

I was looking for a school with a large study-abroad program and small classes. That, and the accessibility to resources, including faculty and staff, made this the best fit for me.

Favorite place on campus:

Asbell House lounge.

Favorite Dining Hall food: 

Grilled cheese and tomato soup.

On choosing a major:

I needed a class to fit into my schedule and wound up in Workshop in Cultural Analysis, which turned out to be exactly what I wanted to study.

Favorite professor:

So far, [Visiting Instructor of International Business & Management Joy] Middaugh. I took her Fundamentals of Accounting class my first semester and didn’t expect to enjoy it, but it’s actually one of the best classes I’ve taken. Professor Middaugh is always enthusiastic, fun and willing to answer any questions, even ones that may be unrelated to what we’re working on in class.

As a kid, I wanted to be …

… Lizzy Maguire.

Little-known hobbies:

I race sailboats and rock climb in summer. In winter, I ski.

Biggest influence:

One of my high school teachers, Terry Pollack, taught in a way that was so different from any other teacher I had ever had. He inspired me to pursue education as a career. I took a few history classes with him, and he never once assigned busy work; he always taught through discussion and example. He put his own experiences and ideologies into his teaching and made me believe that it is important to get involved with issues you are passionate about.

Post-Dickinson plans:

After Dickinson, I hope to become a high school guidance counselor so that I can help students navigate various aspects of their education and prepare to be successful in college or the workforce.

Learn more

Published October 5, 2015