People
Student Profiles
Bonnie Fullard
Honors Anthropology and Psychology
Class of 2008
Birmingham, AL
"I wanted to go to a university rich in both intellectual vigor and Catholic character. Like a lot of students, I was drawn by the spirit of the school; I visited ND and simply felt like I was home. I was amazed at the character, accomplishments, and intelligence of the students I met when I visited. I knew that if this is the type of person ND attracts—if these are the students I will be surrounded by for four years—then this is the place I want to be.
"The Honors Program really helped us ease our way through the transition from high school to college. From the beginning of first semester, there was a group of students I knew well and shared many classes with. During freshman year, we took philosophy, social science, and literature seminars with other motivated, interested students. I found that this made the classes more engaging and even allowed the professor to cover topics more comprehensively. For non-science majors, we took two semesters of science and math courses that were less difficult than those taken by science majors. Dr. Whaley did a great job integrating practical applications into our molecular genetics class, and Dr. Kolda did a great job communicating difficult physics concepts to us in a way that made sense.
"Many professors encourage us to get as much practical experience as possible to discover our own interests and passions. Hearing about the research that other undergraduates have done has compelled me to seek out research opportunities myself. I have participated in two anthropology field schools. Agustin Fuentes took a group of ND students to Gibraltar to study the macaque population, both their behavioral ecology and their interactions with tourists. I spent 5 weeks in Kenya taking a class in Swahili Language and Culture while exploring the reasons for noncompliance with HIV/AIDS medication.
"Professor Fuentes has provided me with a great deal of academic advising. He helped me with applications for various field schools and study abroad programs, often reading through several revisions of my personal statements. He provided me with his interview data from previous field research and helped me write a paper that he is encouraging me to publish. Dr. Fuentes is incredibly intelligent (seriously, this guy knows everything), and he really uses his knowledge to encourage his students to work hard and excel in many ways."
