Student Snapshot: Julia Chandler ’22
Julia Chandler ’22 came to Dickinson for the world-languages program and stayed because of the close-knit community of like-minded students and faculty she discovered on campus. She majors in English and medieval & early modern studies, with a minor in Spanish, and is involved as a peer mentor, Sports Club Council member and club basketball player. Recently, she received news that she was accepted into the highly competitive Mansfield Visiting Student Program at Oxford University, along with five fellow Dickinsonians.
Hometown:
Baltimore, Maryland.
Majors:
English and medieval & early modern studies (MEMS), with a minor in Spanish.
Clubs and organizations:
A.C.E. Peer Mentor, Women’s Club Basketball and Sports Club Council.
Honors/scholarships/awards:
Favorite book:
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas.
Favorite movie:
The Godfather: Part II.
The best thing about my Dickinson experience:
Building relationships with faculty and other students in my majors. I've met a community of people who really enjoy the same things I do. We get to nerd out together!
Favorite place on campus:
East College.
On choosing my majors:
I planned on majoring in a language, but the first class I took as a first-year was an English class, where we studied Homer and other epics. I fell in love with words and what they can do, and the rest was history. MEMS was a later addition: I’ve always loved the Renaissance and the 16th century, so having a major dedicated to obsessing over a time period I adore was only natural.
As a kid, I wanted to be…
… a veterinarian.
On choosing Dickinson:
The languages! I was so impressed with how many foreign languages Dickinson has to offer. The study abroad programs drew me in as well.
Favorite Dining Hall food:
Roasted broccoli.
Favorite professor:
I can’t choose! I’ve had fantastic experiences with many professors across different fields at Dickinson. Because I have to narrow it down, I would say either Associate Professor of Political Science Toby Reiner or Professor of English Wendy Moffat. Professor Reiner was my first-year advisor, and I’ve taken a few classes with him. He’s been a wonderful teacher and guide to me, and I am a better student because of him. I attended Professor Moffat’s Jane Austen class last semester, and her teaching was just magnetic; you couldn’t turn away! Also, I think she has really helped me in developing my writing skills as a critic and a researcher.
Little-known hobby/talent:
I love to knit in my free time.
Proudest accomplishment:
Being accepted into the Dickinson Oxford program. It’s a life dream come true!
If I could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, it would be …
… Oscar Wilde.
Most important thing I’ve learned so far:
To go for it. Even if you think that you’re not properly qualified or don’t have enough experience for something, go for it. If you don’t get it, you’ll learn something along the way. If you do get it, great; maybe you had it in you and you didn’t even know it.
Post-Dickinson plans:
Eventually, I hope to move into the field of academia and teach at the college level.
Read more Student Snapshots.
TAKE THE NEXT STEPS
Published March 16, 2020