Meet Nona David ’26 David serves as head intern of the Burish internship program that connects local schools with student volunteers.

Office of Communications and Public Affairs
April 29, 2025

Nona David ’26
Hometown: Morgantown, West Virginia
Majors/minors: English major; education studies and German minors

Why did you choose to come to W&L?
I encountered W&L in a sort of roundabout way. I had never heard of the school before rummaging around an antique store during my senior year of high school and finding an ornate china plate with the University Chapel etched on it. After that, I did some research on this small, rural liberal arts school and scheduled a tour. As someone who had grown up in a big college town, I never knew that campuses could be as welcoming and intimate on a totally different scale. I fell in love after the tour because it offered me so many opportunities to be a valued and valuable member of a diverse community. It feels all the more serendipitous because I discovered it on a plate in a thrift store! The plate is now decoration in my Woods Creek apartment, of course.

Where is your “home” on campus?
The Center for Global Learning has been my spot on campus for as long as I can remember. I take all my German classes there, but it is also home to our campus coffee shop, the Tea House. The Tea House is the most reliable place for a fun drink that can get me through my day. Brooke, the manager there, is always so fun to chat with and lets my friends and me try her experimental new drinks. It is so integrated into my routine to work and study with my coffee that it feels like a second home to me at W&L.

What has been your most impactful experience at W&L, either on or off-campus?
I help lead the Burish Service-Leadership Internship Program through the Education Studies Program at W&L. As head intern, I oversee eight schools in the Rockbridge County area and their corresponding interns. Interns serve as liaisons between school administration and student volunteers, giving my peers at W&L a chance to be a member of the close-knit area. As someone who wants to go into teaching, classroom experience is the most valuable tool to use in developing your own teaching style and building connections with other educators. I have been able to work with incredibly talented teachers at multiple schools as a way of developing my craft and serving my community. I am so grateful to live and study in a place that is so integrated with the surrounding region because I have the chance to contribute to classrooms that may need an extra hand but also learn about what is means to be an educator.

What are your hobbies/interests? How has W&L helped you develop and pursue them?
Before coming to W&L, I really enjoyed rock climbing. I grew up in area where outdoor sport climbing is very popular but not always the most accessible. When I started my first year, the Outing Club had just finished construction on the new pavilion, complete with an elaborate indoor rock-climbing wall. I started going almost daily, learning more from various clinics and formal practices with my peers.

The Outing Club has been one of the most engaging and attainable opportunities on this campus — it makes it so easy to be able to meet new people who want to try new and exciting things. All of the staff and faculty involved at the OC encourage members to explore and give them exactly what equipment they need to be able to do it. I try to go climbing at least once a week and bring along a gaggle of friends each time, and every time I feel improvement in my physical and mental well-being.

Fun fact:
I can’t travel anywhere without a pair of slippers!