When Melzetta Moody was looking for a college that would allow her to see the world beyond her native Oakland, California, her friend, Tasha Willis, Class of 1994, recommended Kenyon. Willis loved the College, and had been an international studies major-just what Moody wanted to do. That foreign study is a requirement for the major was icing on the cake.

Moody's dream of travel and study abroad came true on a junior semester in Cuba. She earned close to a 4.0 grade point average, taking six classes (all taught in Spanish) at the University of Havana, while simultaneously researching Santeria, an Afro-Cuban religion. Now she is writing her senior thesis on the impact of the Soviet Union's disintegration on Cuba. A grant from the College sent her back for two weeks during the summer of 2004 to conduct interviews with government officials.

But Kenyon has fulfilled more than Moody's dream of foreign travel. When she was considering colleges, Moody also wanted a place where she could venture inward. In high school, Moody had taken on too much responsibility in addition to her studies and felt that she never got to know herself. She sought a place to grow personally and academically, "a place that wants you to succeed and supports you in everything you do."

Moody is sure she's found that at the College. "I'm a better person because of Kenyon," she says. "You can't help but grow with so many amazing people around you. Everyone here wants to see you grow and do better in life."