By Meghan Plambeck and Lille Zablocki

Loras College junior Anna Wernimont Skyped with students in English teacher Allison Berryhill’s Comp 105 classes on Thursday, Sept. 20.  The students asked Wernimont various questions, ranging from specifics about Loras to college in general.

Wernimont attended UNI for her first year of college for the opportunity to play for their volleyball team. During her time there, she discovered that  she “wanted more for my college experience than play volleyball, and I felt I didn’t have the experience to explore other things, like I wanted to.” Enrollment at UNI is at about 12,000, and Wernimont found that she didn’t like the lack of connections she could make there.

Wernimont also found that moving from a high school setting to a college setting was difficult. She explained that she “really struggled to find a healthy balance” with her schedule and was “unsure about what that transition really meant.” She transferred to Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, after one year at UNI.

Originally, Wernimont thought she wanted to be closer to home, but after visiting Loras College, she decided otherwise.  She made her final decision four days before she was to attend.

The atmosphere and connections of  Loras College were similar to those in Atlantic, said Wernimont.  Being able to recognize people when she walked down the halls, and being more personal with her professors comforted her. She said no longer needed to move closer to home because Loras reminded her of home.

Once she was acquainted with the school, Wernimont had to learn to balance her studying, time with friends, and reading for her classes.  Wernimont  was able to see the benefits of taking some of the advanced courses or any courses college credit at AHS.