Laura Wentzel

Welcome! A Little Bit About Me…

Hi, I’m Laura Wentzel! I’m an aspiring educator from Corning, New York. As a member of the Class of ‘26 at Swarthmore College, I am majoring in biology and minoring in chemistry and environmental science. In the Swarthmore spirit of “Minding the Light”, I believe that everyone has a story to tell and I find joy hearing these stories and seeking out the best in each person. 

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I also believe in the power of individual acts of kindness to effect change in other people’s lives. But I often think about the question, “how will you change the world”… I am just one person, what can I do that has such a far-reaching impact? Again, I am comforted by my belief that small change matters. If I can have a lasting impact on the lives of a few students in my class each year, I will feel proud of my contribution. If all my students leave my class sharing my awe and respect for our environment, equipped with a new sense of urgency to protect the planet we live on and a determination to spread that message to others in their lives, I’ll feel proud of my impact. 

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I am a very determined person; I know that obstacles will come my way but when they do, I refuse to let them stop me from reaching my optimistic goals. One skill that helps me with this is my creative problem solving – when one door closes, I think outside the box to come up with an alternative approach that will allow me to hold myself and my project to the high standards I set out with. I am also highly organized – my agenda is one of my best friends! I love making lists, which increase my productivity and preparedness and help me make more efficient progress on large projects by breaking them into smaller, more manageable pieces.