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Semester in the West is undeniably a once-in-a-lifetime experience. When I applied to the program during my first semester at Whitman, I had little to no knowledge of what I was getting myself into. I had heard that as a part of the program you travel across the country and visit beautiful places, all while earning college credit. This automatically caught my attention as an outdoorsy person with an interest in environmental studies, but that was just the half of it. Undoubtedly though, I am very glad I decided to apply.

My cohort—which included myself and 20 other students, two staff members and two professors—spent three months driving around the western half of the United States. Essentially, we were camping and living out of vans while meeting with a variety of local organizations about environmental issues that impact their communities. However, there is so much more that made Semester in the West special to me.

From an academic standpoint, I learned about environmental challenges the West faces from multiple—and often opposing—perspectives. For example, in California, Whitman alum Ryan Garrett ’18 spoke with us about his work on the , an organization working to prevent further diversion of water from the ecologically rich Mono Lake. We also spoke with the , the very entity responsible for those diversions. Being able to hear directly from both sides in the places where these conflicts are unfolding made the issues feel real, complex and urgent.

We also had a range of guest speakers, which I found to align with Whitman’s interdisciplinary curriculum. I personally enjoyed those who presented their perspective with a political framework, but many of our speakers were artists, writers, politicians and scientists who presented environmental issues in unique ways. Having the opportunity to learn directly from people who live with these issues was very impactful, as was seeing the problems they face up close and in person.

Beyond the speakers, another incredibly important aspect of Semester in the West is the relationships created with fellow students. Basically, I was living with the same 24 people for three months. Now, this may sound like a nightmare to some, but in reality, it was a wonderful opportunity to create an intentional community that really cared (and still cares) for each other. We swapped clothes with friends for a meal, belted Macklemore during a car ride, danced under the stars, played Ultimate Frisbee on top of a sand dune, dug out trapped cars, swam A LOT and had so many more memorable moments. I am very confident that I will remain friends with people from my cohort for the rest of my Whitman career and for years after that.

For students considering going to Whitman and applying to Semester in the West, I would emphatically encourage you to do so. The program is definitely difficult; there is often little time to relax, and living outside and moving around so much can be exhausting at times. However, you will have the opportunity to face and overcome these challenges alongside some really awesome fellow students. The people in my cohort are some of the smartest, most entertaining, most kindhearted, most considerate and most creative people I have ever had the fortune to meet. And yours will be too. You will learn a ton about the West, about the environment, about people and about yourself.

Personally, over the course of the semester, I went from having no idea what I wanted to major in to declaring my Geology-Environmental Studies major two weeks before the end of the program. The type of hands-on, small-group learning that Semester in the West offers is a big reason I opted to go to Whitman in the first place. I am extremely grateful that the college gave me the ability to go on a program like this that creates one-of-a-kind learning experiences. Students interested in Whitman for these kinds of opportunities should visit the to learn more about the program and view all the content we created throughout the semester.

Everett Calhoun ’28 (he/him/his) is a Geology-Environmental Studies combined major from Portland, Maine. In his free time, you’ll find him hiking, climbing, paddling and taking photos. He’d also like to mention that during his Semester in the West experience, he cleaned a lot of dishes and was a part of, objectively, the best Cook Crew. Check out and listen to his .