Bryce Chalfant, who graduates Saturday with a degree in political science and minors in anthropology and Spanish, shared his story with Bellarmine Magazine鈥檚 weekly podcast, .
Chalfant said he experienced a major change between his freshman year and now.
鈥淢e as a freshman was so timid, and so shy," he said. "When I see freshmen now walking
on campus and they look shy, or they keep to themselves, at the very least I can say
鈥楬i,' or see how they鈥檙e doing, ask them how their day鈥檚 going or what鈥檚 going on,
things like that. I really do care, and I know you have the potential to really expand
who you are as a person on this campus." He said that shift is partly thanks to the Pioneer Scholars program for first-generation college students, where he was both a participant and a mentor.
鈥淢y mentor first year was the reason why I broke out of my shell, because she鈥檚 the most extroverted person ever," he said. "Then having that role as a mentor to other students, and really learning that not only was I helping them but I was also gaining leadership skills.鈥�
Chalfant studied in Salamanca, Spain, in the spring of 2017, where he also experienced growth and life-changing experiences.
"I met people from all over the world and they just drew out all these different sides of me that I never knew I was interested in," he said. "It was perfect, and I keep in contact with every single one of them that I become really close friends with.鈥�
After graduating, Chalfant plans to return to Spain to teach English for a year, and then pursue a master鈥檚 degree in anthropology.
The Pineapple is a weekly podcast produced by Bellarmine Magazine that provides listeners with exclusive content from the Bellarmine community.
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