Student Spotlight: Genevieve Larson, USMC

Amherst College Cohort

What was your educational experience prior to WSP? Would you consider yourself a confident student?

Before joining the military, I had taken a full year of college. During my enlistment, I used Tuition Assistance to take two classes a semester at a community college. Two months before starting WSP, I finished up my last course there. I find that my level of confidence changes from subject to subject. Overall I’d say I’ve never been very confident when it comes to schoolwork.

Had you participated in any sort of virtual learning before? If so, how does your WSP experience compare to that?

I had taken online classes before, but nothing like WSP. Those were run on either Blackboard or Canvas and had more of a “teach yourself” model. Although the professors were available for help, it felt very independent. Since WSP took place over Zoom, it felt more immersive than the virtual learning I grew accustomed to. I liked interacting with the instructors, fellows, and other scholars in real-time.

Why were you excited to participate in WSP this summer?

I was looking forward to gaining the skills necessary to help ease me back into attending college full time. I was also excited to connect with other veterans starting their college careers back up.

What have you learned so far that you think will be helpful as you pursue your degree?

The studying skills taught by the fellows on the third day of instruction will be really helpful. I’m not the best at studying, so the tips we were taught made me realize that there’s a much easier and more effective way to structure and go about studying.

What was your favorite session, and why?

My favorite session was the lecture with professor Cullen Murphy and Thomas Ricks. I felt like I could have listened to them talk all day! Not only were each of the lecturer’s interesting to listen to, but the discussion was very fluid and engaging.

Are there any instructors or fellows who have made a difference for you at WSP?

All the fellows and instructors were great and essential to helping me work through WSP. The writing instructors, Cassie Sanchez and Roy Andrews helped me immensely improve my writing abilities in such a short amount of time.

Is WSP having any effect on how confident you feel as a student?

My confidence has definitely been boosted since completing WSP. I feel more prepared for this upcoming school year and plan to use all the skills I learned as best as I can!