Weigle Hall 

Bongiwe Shongwe
Major: Economics
Hometown: Manzini, Swaziland

Why Westminster?
Westminster is a small campus that appreciates and honors diversity. The community is a mix of people from different cultures, socio-economic backgrounds, people who have different interests, but are all united by the core values of respect, integrity, responsibility, and fairness.

Who is your favorite professor and why?
Dr. Bhandari. He wants students to understand the concepts and not just memorize them to get good grades.

Favorite place on campus and why?
The Quad. It is close to just about everything on campus.

An interesting fact about you:
It took me a long time to be able to tell the difference between my left and right sides without first weighing an invisible spoon in my hand to see which side could effortlessly carry the weight.

Advice to an incoming student:
Don't try to be what other people are. Be yourself and let people love and respect you for who and what you are. Also, remember that more often than not, you get what you give, so treat others the way you want them to treat you.

Clubs and Organizations:
CIVICUS, WPI, African Union, International Club, Westminster Catholic Students Group.

Liridona Osmanaj (Fall ’12)
Major: International Studies & Political Science; Minor: Spanish & Pre-Law
Hometown: Gjakove, Kosovo

Why Westminster?
Small campus, supportive professors, and everyone knows each other.

Who is your favorite professor and why?
Dr. Cain. I took “Music of Resistance, Revolution, and Liberation” and voice lessons with her. She was also my work-study supervisor and my choir teacher since freshman year. She has encouraged me to pay attention, pushed me to get the best out of her classes, has been there whenever I needed her- even with her tight schedule, and she is a role model to me as a strong, clever, determined, fierce and stylish woman.

Favorite place on campus and why?
My favorite place on campus is JCI because that’s the place where I spend my free time with my friends, and that’s usually lunch time.

An interesting fact about you:
I like driving manual cars. I find it a lot more thrilling and cooler than driving an automatic car – which I think it’s like driving a toy.

Advice to an incoming student:
If you want good grades and a good time, get enough sleep and then study gradually but don’t wait until the last minute to get stuff done.

Clubs and Organizations:
International Club: Vice-President; Student Judiciary Board: Board Member (starting from Fall 2012); CIVICUS: Officer (starting from Fall 2012); Campus Activities Board: Social Committee Member; Remley Women’s Center: Advisory Board Member; Center for Engaging the World: Program Director Assistant; Churchill Singers Choir.

Tripti Giri (Spring ’13)
Major: Mathematics; Minor: Pre-engineering
Hometown: Kathmandu, Nepal

Why Westminster?
It is a small liberal arts college, where you can be yourself and still stand out to be unique from others. Westminster provides an overall education, which includes good academics and global involvement.

Who is your favorite professor and why?
Dr.  Sonia Manzoor. She made me understand and like economics. It was the first time that I ever learnt economics and now I feel it must have always been easy but I was just scared to take classes.

Favorite place on campus and why?
The hill-slope beside Westminster Hall. That is where I have spent times reflecting upon myself to know me better. That place holds a lot of memories for me.

An interesting fact about you:
I smile all the time, but in case I don't, dancing always makes me happy. I LOVE to dance.

Advice to an incoming student:
Try to find your interests, and go for it.  It is not hard to balance academics with other activities at Westminster, if you are willing. You just have to be excited to widen your learning horizon.

Clubs and Organizations:
Making Lives Better, President for PieceMakers, Social Committee/CAB, Toastmasters, am a tutor and a mentor. I have also been involved with physics research.