“You have such an opportunity here; take advantage of it. Take one thing each day to be grateful for– it will make your experience so much more enjoyable.”

Claire Raway came to Ivy Tech Community College as a better path to a four-year school.

At first, coming to Ivy Tech was culture shock for Claire. As someone from a small, private high school in Minnesota, the idea of college seemed like a lot to take in.

“I was overwhelmed by how many people there were and the idea of having to make new friends. I’m not very social, so it was intimidating. But I definitely learned a lot. And not just in the classroom learning.”

Over time, Claire began to make a smooth transition into Ivy Tech. She learned to work with her classmates and found things to enjoy in her coursework. During her second year, she joined the American Honors program at Ivy Tech, which is a competitive honor society that prepares students to transition to junior and senior-level coursework at four-year colleges.

“I learned that you get out what you put into a class. If you are invested and looking for things that interest you, then you can make any class you take fascinating.”

During her time at Ivy Tech, Claire worked at The Oaks Academy and Talbot’s, and was an active participant in her church and in a Christian organization called the People of Praise.

Claire noted she was proud of the papers she wrote while at Ivy Tech, especially those for her art history and history courses, which are subjects she is passionate about.

“I love to explore the world, past and present and these papers allowed me to find something that fascinated me and tap into it.”

She plans to earn her bachelor’s degree in art history, with the ultimate goal of teaching at the high school or college level. In December 2016, Claire is graduating from Ivy Tech and plans to transfer to the Herron School of Art and Design at IUPUI.

Her advice to other students at Ivy Tech is this: “You have such an opportunity here; take advantage of it. Take one thing each day to be grateful for– it will make your experience so much more enjoyable.”