Photo Credit: @il_wesleyan
Each episode of “The College Tour” tells the story of one university or college in the United States, and the TV series’ new episode featured Illinois Wesleyan University. Alex Boylan, the host, toured Illinois Wesleyan’s campus, talked to multiple students and had a cup of coffee with IWU President Georgia Nugent at Ames Library.
They discussed the importance of a liberal arts education, especially at Illinois Wesleyan.
The episode tells the stories of a group of current Illinois Wesleyan students from various backgrounds. International students, athletes and students from various majors are featured as they each tell their story of why they chose Illinois Wesleyan.
Carson Shaeffer, a biochemistry major on a pre-med track, talked about the benefits of attending university in Bloomington and how students are involved in the town’s community. His part of the episode walked the audience through the town, and explored the Uptown and Downtown areas.
“Blo-No, as we call it, provides ample opportunity for travel, entertainment, history and food,” said Shaeffer, who also grew up in Bloomington.
Computer science and history double-major Josh Reed explained that Illinois Wesleyan is the “and” university because it provides students with an abundance of activities and ways to be involved. He discussed starting college at the height of the pandemic, when there wasn’t much activity, and still feeling fulfilled with Illinois Wesleyan’s resources.
“Wesleyan wasn’t my first choice, but it was the right choice,” said Reed.
Student Senate Vice President J.D Barret discussed the benefits of a small university as he was able to pursue his athletic, academic and career goals during his time at IWU.
Other segments focused on the attention Illinois Wesleyan puts on entrepreneurship, especially to provide students in unique majors the opportunity to combine their skills with business. Additionally, many students highlighted the supportive atmosphere, especially from faculty and staff.
Ellie Reineke, a senior English major, told the story of how she met her fiancé at Illinois Wesleyan, and how the university supported them as they expected a baby.
“[They] didn’t just see me as a student, but as a whole person,” she said.
Segments were recorded in one week over the summer, during mid-July. The full episode was placed in the series’ seventh season, which will premiere on Amazon Prime, March 2023. But, segments of the episode have already been uploaded on the “The College Tour” YouTube channel for their audience to watch.