Local Student Molly Gerwig to Study at the University of Cambridge

2015 Apr 16

Mount St. Mary's University student Molly Gerwig of Downingtown, PA earned admission to study at the University of Cambridge this summer as part of a select program for outstanding undergraduates. It is the first time students from the Mount are enrolled in the prestigious Cambridge program.

Mount students attending the eight-week program this summer include Joe Appleton, C'16, Anna Bradley, C'16, Caitlin Flay, C'16, Molly Gerwig, C'16, Kelsey Kierce, C'16, and Katherine Wu, C'17 -- joining students from Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and other prominent colleges and universities throughout the world.

"The Mount provides our students with a first-rate liberal arts education," said David Rehm, Ph.D., university provost. "The students will take courses in a number of areas for which they are well prepared, particularly because their writing skills are strong, their analytical and critical reading skills are strong, and they can communicate beautifully with others."

"Having our students accepted to this program, and watching our students excel, is an opportunity to say to everyone: 'look how strong a Mount education is, look how broad the opportunities are, and look at what our students can do'," said Rehm. "They are going to shine brilliantly."

Living in Cambridge's Pembroke or King's Colleges, students enroll in three distinct areas of interest -- the Pembroke-King's Programme, offering courses from a broad range of topics including the arts, social sciences, humanities, business and science; the renowned International Security and Intelligence program; and the Creative Writing program.

Rehm says the students will take away an enhanced understanding of their areas of study and a sense of camaraderie with students from all over the world, and he hopes they discover the value of their Mount education.

"I want them to understand that a Mount St. Mary's education is just as good as what students are getting at a Harvard, or a Penn, or a Princeton -- many of whom send their students to Cambridge," Rehm said. "The kind of liberal arts training our students receive puts them in a superior position when it comes to a program like this."

As an education major, Kierce is most looking forward to being a part of the ongoing tradition of education at Cambridge, founded in 1209 and the world's second-oldest university, located about an hour north of London, England.

"I love teaching, but I also enjoy learning, and I want to instill that same love of learning in my students," Kierce said. "To study at a university that has educated students for hundreds of years is thrilling."

The competitive program hosts some of the most promising students in the world, yet Kierce is confident her classmates will thrive in the program because of their Mount coursework.

"It was a little intimidating when I learned of my acceptance in this program," Kierce said. "But I realized the class size at Cambridge is about the same as what we experience at the Mount. That one-on-one time with professors is something I really value, so I'm sure I'll feel really comfortable there."

Kierce also values the diversity of the Cambridge program as an asset to her future career.

"As a teacher, I will interact with students from diverse backgrounds," she said. "Any experience I can get interacting with people who are different than me will expand my ability to understand perspectives and cultures. Despite our differences, we all have a common thread -- we are there to study together."

For her Mount honors project, Gerwig is studying the works of English poet John Milton, and is excited to have the opportunity to attend the same institution where Milton, and other notable Cambridge alumni studied, including Isaac Newton and Stephen Hawking. The experience allows Gerwig to complete her double majors of English and history, and she hopes her participation in the program will set her apart as a candidate for the Marshall Scholarship and Fulbright Scholar Program.

"I've studied the great authors that lived in Cambridge and London, and I've studied the history of London and King Henry VIII," Gerwig said. "To actually get to see these places is just incredible. I can't wait to attend classes and learn from some of the world's most respected faculty."

In addition to creating opportunities simply from having Cambridge on their resumes, Rehm says the experience will foster a deeper understanding of culture and diversity within the students.

"A student who has been through this program and has experienced the kind of high-level, academic energy at a place like Cambridge is forever altered, not just academically, but also in terms of his or her appreciation for the diversity of the world," Rehm said. "One is changed in the context of such an experience. To have that kind of worldliness and breadth of understanding makes a huge difference. To have an appreciation for that is something that allows one to grow in tremendous ways."

Mount St. Mary's University in Maryland is the nation's second-oldest Catholic university -- with 16 Division I athletic teams, an award-winning student life program and more than 40 majors and minors to choose from. For more information please visit www.msmary.edu.