Sisterhood and Service

Camille McCaul can call many places home. Born in the Caribbean nation of Trinidad, she and her family eventually settled in Brooklyn, New York. Today, Gambier feels like home, too: "I love New York," says McCaul. "But I love the quiet here."

The Nia sorority, of which McCaul has been president and treasurer, has provided yet another home. "Nia fosters sisterhood, provides service to the community, and supports academic excellence," says McCaul. "We focus on African-American students, but Nia is definitely very open to everyone." During her time on campus, the organization has done everything from providing entertainment at a local retirement home, to supporting efforts to stop exploitation of sweatshop laborers, to donating an evening of free Valentine's Day babysitting to faculty members, so that couples could enjoy time alone. "I'm very proud of what we do at Nia. We just had our ten-year anniversary and we're stronger than ever."

McCaul came to Kenyon planning to major in economics but quickly found a group of professors in the psychology department who became mentors, friends, and good neighbors. "[Professor] Linda Smolak was just wonderful for statistics and child development courses. Then I took a phenomenal seminar on eating disorders with Professor Michael Levine. And [Assistant Professors] Mikhail Lyubansky and Elaine Shpungin are great people who've been wonderful to me."

Wherever McCaul ultimately ends up, she says a bit of Gambier will go with her: "Kenyon has been the perfect place for me."