My W&L: Drew Carlos ’15

“W&L is more than just a school, and the professors are more than just educators.”

Every time I drive into Lexington after being away, a calm washes over me. Washington and Lee is not just about to become my alma mater, it has also become my home. This summer, I will be attending Columbia University’s Publishing Course to pursue a career as an editor. I will be leaving behind this university and all that it has taught me, but it will not be forgotten — Columbia would not have been possible without the foundations of this institution and the professors who guided me.

I was always the girl who knew exactly what she wanted to do with her life, but when it came to my future after college, I was lost. As a freshman, I took a variety of courses, unclear about my major. After that first year, it clicked. I loved to write; therefore, journalism and history seemed like the best fit for me. I told my parents that I was following my passion; I was majoring in communications and history. I’d figure out the job later, and, hey, it worked out.

I could never have guessed that the four years I would spend in these two departments would shape and define me into the person I am today. I found my place in Reid and Newcomb; the professors not only challenged me, but also became my mentors. At the beginning of this year, Professor Myers emailed me the link for the publishing course. He encouraged me to apply. I never expected that I would end up in New York at the one of the most prominent and lauded publishing courses in the country. Professor Myers had faith in me, and Professor Locy worked endlessly with me to make sure my application was perfect. They were also the first two I let know about my acceptance, after I screamed for about fifteen minutes in the sorority house.

As each day ends and I get closer and closer to graduation, I find myself reminiscing on the memories that I have made here. When I stepped onto campus for the first time, I never could have imagined the affect this school would have on me. From debates with my friends on the meaning of honor to countless hours in the journalism lab to scouring pre-Civil War newspaper articles for a paper on John Brown, my four years here became the best of my life. W&L is more than just a school, and the professors are more than just educators. I can only share my success with them and this institution, because without it, I would most likely still be lost, questioning what my future would hold.

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