Name: Wamae Muriuki ’03
Double Major: Philosophy and Biology
Hometown: Nairobi, Kenya
Activities: Laurentian Singers, Philosophy Honor Society, Student Judicial Board, International House, Merck Pharmaceuticals Research Fellow, PRIDES (People Recognizing Individuality, Diversity, and Equality of Sexualities), Teaching Assistant in Government and Swahili, Dean’s List, Denmark Program.

“I never thought career-hunting and soul-searching could be combined and be so much fun at the same time! Luckily, at St. Lawrence I could pursue a double major in biology and philosophy, one to help me prepare for graduate study in biomedical science and another to grow as a person.

“Thanks to small classes and the amazing faculty of the biology department I qualified for the Merck Pharmaceuticals Research Fellowship and spent a summer on campus working on fascinating projects. It was a pleasant surprise to discover how beautiful summer in Canton really is!

“I've been singing with the Laurentian Singers since my sophomore year and I enjoy it immensely. I have grown to like performing; the connection with an audience and the opportunity to make an emotional connection with someone else, even if only for a brief moment in time, is really amazing!

“During my semester in Denmark, I studied great European philosophers such as Kierkegaard. Last summer I went to Japan to study Japanese for five weeks and then I used a Freeman Grant to study historical sites for two weeks. I plan to make comparative philosophy my focus in graduate school, and a knowledge of both Japanese and Japanese culture is crucial because I plan to study Japanese and Continental philosophies.”