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Madeleine Forrest '09: "I received a fantastic liberal arts
education at Randolph-Macon." |
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Forrest was presented with the 2009 Woman of Excellence award in April. Melissa Mowry '11, member of Macon Peer Response, presented Forrest with the award. |
History and
religious studies major. Dean’s List student. Award winner.
Madeleine Forrest ’09 is all this—and much more. “Coming to Randolph-Macon was the best decision that I have ever made,” says Forrest. “A wonderful liberal arts education not only allowed me to pursue what I was interested in but also to cultivate new interests.”
Forrest took advantage of all that R-MC has to offer during her four years on campus. The list of organizations that Forrest has been a member of is impressive: the Campus Activities Board, Concert Choir, Chamber Singers and Delta Zeta (for which she served as past president) were all graced with her enthusiastic presence. In addition, Forrest served as an orientation leader and a tour guide and she participated in the Schapiro Undergraduate Research Fellowship program (SURF).
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R-MC’s close-knit community impressed Forrest when she was looking at colleges during her senior year of high school. “Like most students, I had a hard time deciding where to go to college,” she says. “I had toured many other schools before I came to R-MC and the second I stepped on the campus I knew that it could become my second home. I felt so comfortable and was very excited about the personalized attention I received.”
The college’s expansive study abroad program offered the Charlottesville, Virginia native some unique out-of-the classroom experiences. “I was drawn to the study abroad opportunities at R-MC,” says Forrest, who has traveled during every J-term in her college career. She has journeyed to Paris, Brazil, England, Wales and Guatemala, and she spent the fall semester of her junior year studying in Perugia, Italy.
When asked how she decided on her double major, Forrest explains: “I became a history and religious studies double major because I could not decide!” she says. “History is my first love, but I really enjoyed my religion classes. I grew up in a very religious family and was interested in learning more about not only my faith, Christianity, but also many other religions. The religious studies department did a wonderful job in helping me with that. In the end, I could not bear to make one a minor, so I decided to major in both.”
Forrest received quite a number of accolades during her career at R-MC. She was the recipient of the 2006 Outstanding Greek New Member award, the 2007 Greek Emerging Leader award, the 2007 Second Year Emerging Leader award and the 2009 Woman of Excellence award. She was also a Randolph-Macon Presidential Merit Scholarship recipient and a member of the Honors Program, Omicron Delta Kappa, Phi Beta Kappa, Theta Alpha Kappa (religious studies), Phi Alpha Theta (history), Order of Omega, Rho Lambda and Gamma Sigma Alpha.
After graduation, Forrest will work as a paralegal in Richmond, Virginia. “I received a fantastic liberal arts education at R-MC,” she says. “Not only was I taught by wonderful professors, but there were also great staff members who helped me with my leadership skills.”
Forrest cherishes the broad range of activities she’s been part of at R-MC. “I majored in history and religious studies, but could still sing in the choir and take piano lessons while serving on the executive board of several organizations, giving campus tours and traveling abroad,” she says. “How many other schools allow students to do all of that at once? To me, that is the beauty of Randolph-Macon. No opportunity is impossible and there are so many people here to help you along your way. I feel extremely prepared to enter the ‘real world’ and I know it is all because of my time at Randolph-Macon.”
For information on R-MC’s history department, visit http://www.rmc.edu/academics/history.aspx
For information on R-MC’s religious studies department, visit http://www.rmc.edu/academics/religious-studies.aspx
For information on R-MC’s concert choir, visit http://www.rmc.edu/academics/music/ConcertChoir.aspx
For more information about the breadth of programs and opportunities available at Randolph-Macon, contact our Admissions Office at (800) 888-1762 or at admissions@rmc.edu