Student Profiles
Lauren Buck
Biological Sciences
Class of 2009
Flint, Michigan
"I was not someone who grew up with a Notre Dame pillow in my crib but I was attracted by Notre Dame’s high reputation but manageable size, not to mention the strong tradition of athletics. However, what truly sealed my decision was my visit. One step on the campus and I knew I had found my home for the next four years. Notre Dame felt like a community – with none of the competitive, out-for-yourself feel.
"My first year in the Honors Program has been one of the most rewarding and challenging experiences of my life. The coursework, as well as the guidance of the most outstanding professors on campus, has taken my academic skills to a whole new level. The Program provides an ideal environment for growth, learning, and an opportunity to form relationships with brilliant professors. I also have met and become close with many students who are immensely talented and interested in a variety of subjects. The Honors Program gave me an opportunity to be immersed in intellectual discussions with other students who share my interests.
"One of the things that impressed me most about the honors classes was their size. My philosophy and seminar classes had 17 students each, and my math class had around 30. All three were taught by professors at the top of their respective fields. My favorite professor of all last year was Professor Hahn, who taught my calculus class and also happens to be one of the heads of the Honors Program. He cares immensely about the well-being of his students, and was willing to discuss any concerns we had about anything from academic forums and speakers on campus to our futures at Notre Dame and beyond.
Professor Hahn’s math class was also interesting and unique in its combination of science and the humanities. We looked at some of the original text of Newton’s Principia and even studied a chapter about the mathematics of The Da Vinci Code. Surprising as it may seem, one of the primary things I have learned from Professor Hahn is the importance of expressing ideas in a coherent and eloquent manner. Many test and quiz questions in this class asked us to explain mathematical concepts instead of simply answering problems. This method tested a deeper understanding of the material and forced us to make connections between concepts on a higher level than any other math course I have taken."
