Aric Whitington, Class of 2004, a native of Dallas, laughs when he recalls his search for a college: "I knew I wanted to get out of Texas. I wanted to go someplace where it snowed."

Whitington found plenty of snow at Kenyon, as well as several talents he never knew he possessed. "I've done a radio show since my freshman year and I'm now on the executive staff at the radio station. I'm also captain of the rugby team ¾ a sport I'd never even played until I came to the College. The guys on the team were really welcoming. I was horrible at other sports, but it turns out I'm pretty good at rugby."

Whitington thinks Kenyon is a good fit for all different types of people ¾ whether they like snow or not. "I think you find what you love here, whatever it may be," he says.

Most importantly, Whitington has been pleased with the way Kenyon has nurtured his love of science. "I can't imagine a place better for undergraduate science than Kenyon," says Whitington, a biology major who is deciding whether to attend medical school or pursue graduate work in biology. "During the second semester of my sophomore year, I got to design my own independent research project. That just doesn't happen at other schools."

Working in Assistant Professor Wade Powell's laboratory has provided further hands-on experience. They study the way certain frog cells react to environmental toxicity. "Professor Powell is a mentor and a real friend," he says.