Annabelle Parker '28

Q: What is one thing you would want a prospective student to know about Lehigh?

A: I know how terrifying it can be to start college. I had never even been to Pennsylvania before I moved in my freshman year. I didn’t know anyone in the area, much less anyone going to Lehigh. So, saying I was nervous would be an understatement. Lehigh, however, made the transition to college life so easy and effortless. Through the different sessions and events we had during orientation, I quickly felt very comfortable on campus, and the University made it really easy to meet people. Events in my residence hall made it easy to make friends who I'd be with all year. Lehigh does an amazing job of helping people settle in well, find their place on campus and get plugged into amazing opportunities.

Q: As an Eckardt Scholar, you’ve essentially been given the keys to design your own curriculum. How have you used that flexibility to bridge your interests in a way that a traditional degree path might not have allowed?

A: The flexibility that I have been given has allowed me to fine-tune my class selection for topics that I am genuinely interested in and to explore subjects I am passionate about earlier than most. It has made a double major with a minor very doable, allowing me to explore the intersection of a number of fields that I find interesting.

Q: How has the combination of your Anthropology and History coursework and the resources within the Lehigh United Nations program helped you move from understanding the roots of global issues to actively participating in solving them?

A: All societies and cultures today are a product of their history. Studying history helps me understand how societies have evolved and what has caused them to become the way they are today. Participating in the Lehigh UN program as a youth representative has allowed me to better understand how changes are made to societies. It has put me in spaces where change happens and with people who make it happen. This understanding has helped me narrow down which global issues I feel passionate about, and it has helped me take tangible steps to work on those issues. For example, my position as a youth rep has allowed me to advocate for the rights of women, specifically widows, on campus and at UN events such as CSW.

Q: Beyond your own studies, you spend time tutoring through the Community Service Office. What have those face-to-face moments with students taught you about the real impact of education that you can't get from a textbook?

A: Tutoring has been one of my favorite things that I have done at Lehigh. It has been so fun getting to know the kids. The more I get to know them and learn about America Reads, the program we work through, the more I also realize how lucky I am to have had the opportunities that I did. Having access to education is about more than just having a school to go to. It’s about having the supplies you need to do well. It’s about having a safe home where you are taken care of so that you can be fully attentive at school. It’s about having someone to encourage you in your education and to help with homework and such. So many kids don’t have that. I recognize now more than ever that it is the responsibility of those of us who have the means to help to do what we can to give these kids true access to education. 

Q: What tools or resources have you discovered at Lehigh that will enable you to make an impact?

A: I think the most helpful resource I have found at Lehigh is the people. The professors, staff, and alumni all genuinely want to help. The faculty have taken a genuine interest in my life and in seeing me succeed. A great example: I needed a letter of recommendation super last minute and a faculty member I work for was happy to help with no hesitation. I believe these relationships will really set me up for success. 

Q: How has the Lehigh Commitment shaped your college experience and allowed you to explore new opportunities?

A: The Lehigh Commitment has given me so much freedom in my college experience. It has allowed me to focus my time at school on things that will further my career as opposed to being consumed by the financial burden of paying for college on my own. Rather than devoting the majority of my time to full time work and applying to hundreds of scholarships, I can focus on my passions. Although I  still have two different work study jobs, I can balance them with things I truly enjoy without worrying or feeling guilty that I’m not trying to log more hours to pay my bills.

Q: What is your favorite thing about Lehigh?

A: My favorite thing about Lehigh has been the people that I have met here. I have made amazing friends. I have the best roommate in the entire world. All of the faculty I have interacted with have been so kind and helpful, and I have joined clubs that have provided me with incredible community. My family lives in the Middle East, so they are pretty far away! So, the fact that the people I have met here have made Lehigh feel like home is such a blessing.

Q: If you had to sum up your Lehigh journey so far in three authentic-to-you words, what would they be?

A: Unexpected, Exciting, Rewarding

Q: Where is your study spot of choice on campus?

A: I like studying with other people, so my favorite spot on campus is definitely Fairchild Martindale Library (FML)! A lot of my friends like to hang around there, so there is always someone to sit with.

Q: What is your favorite food spot, either on campus or in SouthSide Bethlehem?

A: My favorite thing to eat is 1000% the double chocolate muffin from the Grind. Yes, it has to be the double chocolate one, and, yes, it is the best muffin I have ever had my entire life. I ate it almost every morning my freshman year, and I will rave about it until the day I die.