Grace Bjorkman

Favorite Aspect of Westmont: One of my favorite opportunities Westmont has to offer is the chance to go on amazing study abroad programs. I studied abroad with Westmont’s Europe Semester program (shameless plug—you get to go to 11 countries in Europe with Westmont students and professors and learn as you go! Unbelievable program!) and had amazing professors who helped us make connections between things we had learned on campus with what we were learning abroad. It brought so much richness to my Westmont experience. There are so many different types of study abroad programs and there is something for everyone!

Favorite Westmont memory: A favorite Westmont memory of mine was being involved with Spring Sing. One of Westmont’s most cherished and long-standing traditions, Spring Sing is a fantastic way to get to know people in your residence hall better and take a study break as you learn a fun skit, paint sets, learn dances and songs, and laugh a ton in a giant competition at the Santa Barbara Bowl! It’s one of my favorite nights of the year and has allowed me to get to know so many people that I may not have interacted with much otherwise. My senior year, we finally won that highly sought-after trophy, and it was definitely one of my best Westmont memories.

Favorite Place on Campus: One of my favorite spots on campus is at the top of the formal gardens when the purple wisteria are in bloom and covering the archways. They are beautiful and smell amazing! Standing there, you can look out over all of the stunning formal gardens—the part of Westmont’s campus that first lured me in when I was a wee little 4th grader visiting my dad’s alma mater for the first time. Don’t worry, I came to Westmont for other reasons too, but I still love the beauty and peacefulness of this part of campus. Added perk: there are often lots of kumquats on the trees nearby if you start getting hungry.

Why do you work at Westmont? Westmont is so centered around its care for people. The students care deeply for one another, and faculty and staff work here because they recognize the importance of caring for students as whole individuals, rather than just another number in a crowd. I love being a part of the process of helping high school students look toward their future and figure out what it might look like, and hopefully conveying how truly formative a Westmont education can be in so many ways.

Hobbies: Standing at the top of a mountain, tower, or some really high place and looking out over the world. Traveling to other countries and new places. Playing beach volleyball or spikeball at East Beach. Wakeboarding on a mountain lake at sunset. Making meals with friends and enjoying them together. Swing dancing to live music. Hand lettering, watercoloring, and making greeting cards. Walking through a used bookstore and smelling the old books. Skiing on freshly fallen snow. Picnicking in some beautiful wide open space. Stand up paddleboarding. Long walks on the beach or short hikes in the mountains. Drinking lemonade at my favorite local coffee shop, the French Press. Watching 24, New Girl, or Gilmore Girls with friends or family. Snacking on most anything from Trader Joes. Spending time with people!