Maren Bair '10

Ada Comstock Scholar
Chicago, Illinois

After finishing high school in New Mexico, I traveled for four years -- partly in Europe and India -- and eventually ended up in Chicago. I enrolled at a community college, which is where I learned about Smith. Part of the reason I applied to the Ada Comstock Scholars Program was because I was interested in how the classroom experience would be different at a women’s college.

Coming here meant packing up my apartment and moving into a dorm, which was a huge leap. The adjustment turned out to be smooth and I’m enjoying the company of women of different ages and backgrounds.

As for classes, they’re great. I appreciate that we can develop our own major, and I’m planning to combine anthropology with environmental science and policy. Community service is important to me and I was elected S.O.S. (Service Organizations of Smith) house rep, which allows me to help coordinate volunteer projects for the women in Northrop House. I also tutor local schoolchildren as a volunteer with America Reads.