Gustavus Adolphus College senior Delaney Sweet will serve as the commencement speaker on Sunday, May 29, when the Class of 2016 graduates at Hollingsworth Field. She was chosen by a committee of students, faculty, and staff from a pool of graduating seniors.
After being introduced to Gustavus by her club tennis coach in high school, Sweet realized a liberal arts education and close-knit community were exactly what she was looking for. “Once I started looking at colleges, Gustavus checked off all the boxes on my list,” she said. “Gustavus became the bar that all the other colleges were measured against.”
Sweet, a native of Omaha, Neb., will graduate with an English major and a political science minor. Throughout her four years at Gustavus she has been highly involved on campus, serving as a Community-Based Service and Learning intern, Minnesota DFL youth fellow, Gustie Greeter orientation leader, and tour guide in the admission office. Sweet has also been a member of satirical news website The Fourth Crown, the Gustavus Student Senate, the Theta Xi Gamma sorority, and the Senior Week committee in addition to serving as LineUs Improv Troupe’s business manager.
A member of the College’s unique Three Crowns Curriculum, Sweet completed her general education credits – a third of the Gustavus class requirements – by taking interdisciplinary, discussion-based courses with the same core group of students over four years. As she reflects on her many involvements, Sweet believes the Three Crown Curriculum’s theme of “individual and community” is echoed in students’ engagement both in classes and co-curricular activities.
She says the opportunity to learn and reflect inside and outside the classroom is what allowed her to grow at Gustavus. “When you’re thinking about how you want to act and who you want to be, there’s more to it than just your resume,” she explained.
“Delaney has been a strong and capable student leader throughout her four years at Gustavus and boasts an impressive record of engagement that has both depth and breadth,” Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students JoNes VanHecke said. “I know Delaney represents the Class of 2016 well not only through her many contributions to student life at the College and in the community, but as a fun-loving, caring individual who lives life fully and with purpose.”
“I’ll really miss the challenging, yet affirming classes that I’ve had,” Sweet said. “The support I received and the professors I learned from at Gustavus are what have made my future plans a possibility.”
After graduation, Sweet will travel abroad for a year before pursuing a MFA in creative writing in hopes of becoming the Tina Fey of her generation.
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