My name is Monika Gunnar and I am from India. I went to an international high school, Woodstock, in India and was determined to come to the U.S. for further education. I was told that the expectations are higher and the standard of education better here and I must say, I was not told anything wrong. I am studying Mechanical Engineering. My parents are missionaries in India working independently to serve God.
I heard about Calvin through my school counselor at Woodstock School. After looking into several technical as well as liberal arts colleges, I can surely say that Calvin has been one of my best life choices. I applied here because of Calvin's Christian background and strong (accredited) Engineering program. Being one of the few Christian colleges that offers engineering courses, my choices were easily narrowed down. A good scholarship enabled me to finally make my way half way across the globe to come and study here.
The teaching environment and the integration of faith with learning are outstanding here at Calvin. By giving us biblical and faith related examples, it is easy to see that science and technology are part of God's bigger plan and not ideas opposing His existence. The academics are challenging, especially for those who are in technical and professional or pre-professional courses. However, I would not exchange the broad exposure to the core classes that we also must take. Engineering students sometimes complain about having to take these seemingly "unnecessary" core classes but we all know that the core classes shape us more and more into the diverse and well educated people God wants us to be.
Although the academics are challenging, there is always time to spend with God and with my friends. The love and support from the Christian community here has never let me down. As a junior now, I am living in one of the College's on-campus apartments. The international community here is amazing in its rich diversity and culture. I have grown and learned so much about God's world just by the friendships that I share with other students here. I am the Vice President of the International Students Association, an experience that is priceless. We have over 300 international students who make up one big family. The size of Calvin (about 4,300 students) makes the relationships so much more personal than at a big university. It was amazing for me to find a world of different people here at Calvin.
During the month of January 2005 I spent the month touring Europe with one of my Engineering professors and a small group of Calvin students to study various companies and opportunities for engineers. We had plenty of time to enjoy the sites and culture of these European countries!
My work at the Admissions Office involves more than just being a student assistant. Talking to prospective students through emails, notes and phone calls gives me a sense of connection—like there are other students like me and I am so lucky to be able to help them with the process that I went through once, not so very long ago! It is my privilege and pleasure to talk to international students all over the globe and tell them about the once-in-a-lifetime opportunities here at Calvin.