Isabel Nelson

Anticipated graduation year: 2012

Majors: Theatre (performance track); English (writing track)

Hometown: I was born in Richmond, Va., and I grew up in the U.K., but as of 2006 I live in Santa Barbara, Calif. I realize you didn't ask for my life story, but it's a pretty ambiguous question.

Whitworth activities/clubs: Whitworth Theatre, the dance program, Alumni Giving and Relations

Favorite book: It changes from week to week, but right now it's Bird by Bird and Traveling Mercies, by Anne Lamott, The Trouble with Poetry, by Billy Collins, and Emma, by Jane Austen.

Favorite food: Well, I'm getting pretty attached to Mexican food now that I live in Southern California, but my heart stays with English cuisine...i.e. Indian food. I make a pretty bomb chicken curry, if I do say so myself.

You'd be surprised to know that... when I eat apples, I eat the whole thing. The seeds, the little fuzzy weird bit, the stem...everything. I personally don't find it that surprising because I've done it since I was ten, but people keep freaking out over it in class, so I thought I'd just come clean and admit it to the Whitworth community. I'm a freak of nature.

Favorite professor: This is tough, but I think I've got to go with Laurie Lamon. I've never wanted to hug an academic more in my life. She's ridiculously smart, but so down to earth – it feels like you're her colleague rather than her student.

Best class: Performance Theory and Practice, with Diana Trotter. It satisfies your oral communication general education requirement, and it has taught me more about myself than any other class. Plus, I get to jump around and recite Shel Silverstein.

I like my major because... disappointing my parents is a hobby of mine. But a perk is that both departments are crammed full of really intelligent, good people who make you excited to come to class as long as there isn't a test or homework you forgot about.

Why I chose to attend Whitworth: My dad works for Westmont College, which is a sister school of Whitworth in Santa Barbara. Therefore, I receive free tuition for attending here. However, that isn't the reason I came—only the reason I was allowed to apply! My uncle works here and he loves the community, so I put my application in and forgot all about it. On my visit to see the various sister schools I could attend, I took a tour of Whitworth and thought it was pretty nice. I ate dinner in Saga, met some students, hung out in Warren, all nice. Then the evening's entertainment came around—a performance from a Hawaiian rap band, which is fronted by the resident director of Warren Hall, a Mr. Tyler Pau. The music was awesome, the crowd was really responsive, and I came away from it with a feeling that there was something different about this school, something kooky, fun, and very welcoming. I still haven't shaken that feeling, and it's why I wake up every morning happy to be here.