Junior business administration major Jonathan Walker decided to attend Lander University because it was close to his Mountville home.
He expected to go to his classes and then return immediately home, but a freshman orientation speaker who urged commuter students to “get involved on campus” started Walker thinking “about all that I would be missing out on by going through college as I had imagined I would.”
He responded by immersing himself in college life. During the 2022-2023 school year, he was a resident assistant at New Hall, served as an orientation leader, and underwent training so he can serve as a presidential ambassador next year.
In March, he entered the annual Mr. Lander competition—and won.
Walker, who has a 3.95 grade point average, also won Lander Housing and Residence Life’s RA Scholar of the Year and Rookie of the Year Awards.
In addition to his other activities, he plays on the men’s rugby team.
Next year, he will serve not only as an orientation leader and presidential ambassador, but also as resident assistant director over the RAs at New Hall, Williamston, University Place and Lide.
He looks forward to working with the other RAs in his area, he said, and “sharing my passion for being an RA with my team.”
A member of Alpha Chi and Beta Gamma Sigma honor societies, Walker opted for the business program’s information technology management emphasis.
“I’ve always had an interest in computer science, coding and building computers,” he said.
He added a minor in psychology during the fall of 2022 after taking a class from faculty member Heather Bennett. He said she “inspired me to learn more about psychology so that one day I could work better with people.”
In the future, he hopes to land a position as a project manager with a technology firm.
“I want to work with computer hardware, software, and diverse types of data, and be able to lead a team. I believe that my interest in psychology and the experience and knowledge I gain from the courses that I am taking at Lander will help me immensely in working with people in my teams,” he said.