Gelic Gerona

Major(s): Psychology

Why You Chose Whitman

Growing up on a small island in the Philippines, and being part of a small international  school in UWC Armenia, I have always known that I want to experience the same  connectedness and involvement to the community I will be spending the next four years of my life.  I was concerned about how to get this experience while also making sure that I have the opportunity to bring the best version of myself by being able to learn more about what I love to do, practice new skills and crafts, have a deeper understanding on specific subjects, and get mentored by outstanding professors. I’ve found that Whitman is capable of providing these qualities. It’s a small community that holds a belief in the value of community and power of relationships while encouraging students to discover new things and create impacts in different spaces.

Favorite Things To Do in Walla Walla

I like participating in different events downtown which make me feel part of the Walla Walla community. There are concerts, ceremonies and cultural celebrations that I love attending, but my absolute favorite is watching the annual hot air balloon night glow, it feels like a scene from a disney movie! Just walk downtown as well and grab ice cream from Pine Cone or buy candies from Brights.

Best Class You’ve Taken On Campus

When I declared my major in Psychology, I was still not sure about it, but it’s the class that I noticed I was drawn the most after taking a variation of classes from different departments. When I took the Developmental Psychology class during my sophomore year,  that's when I became certain about my major. I had a professor who was very passionate about teaching the class, and her energy and excitement whenever she shared with us the findings of different research, makes me as student also could not help but look forward to it. The projects we made in that class included observing someone under 18 for five hours, as well as interviewing a Whitman Alumni, then connecting our observations to the different theories and concepts we learned in class. I really enjoy being able to apply my learnings to people I meet, and learn more from it which results in more meaningful learning.

Favorite Campus Traditions

I love International Night! It’s the time of the year where I can ask my friends to learn and perform a Filipino dance with me. We also get to cook Filipino food and just talk about my culture during our rehearsals. I love being able to wear my traditional clothes, also lend them to my other friends, and see my other international student friends being able to share and celebrate their culture as well.