Libby Ward ’20
“Hanover’s best-kept secret is the community you gain the second you walk on campus,” explains Libby Ward ’20. “From a different variety of majors, clubs, organizations and sports teams, no matter HOW or WHAT you want to do with your time at Hanover you can find a group of people that challenge you to be the best version of yourself and care about you as a person.”
One person that Libby has connected with is Coach T (Bill Tereshko, Associate Professor of Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology). Coach T serves as her advisor, but to Libby, he is an inspiration and motivator: “Whether it is school, personal issues, or the stress of “after Hanover,” Coach T continues to always keep me positive. I have never met a professor, or person, that cares more about my success than Coach T does. As I reflect on my four years that are coming to a quick end here at Hanover, I do not know where I would be as a student or person without him! He is someone that will be invited to my wedding one day!”
This connection to professors is what drew Libby to Hanover: “I chose to come to Hanover College because of the student to faculty ratio. This is something that Hanover prides on itself, and I truly believe this benefit has created the student I am today. Professors go above and beyond inside and outside of the classroom to help every single student succeed. I could not tell you how many professors that I have had who are willing to meet with me before an exam or read over a draft of a huge research paper that is due. The student-to-faculty ratio has challenged me to become the best student that I can be.”
Outside of the classroom, she has also found success thanks to the countless opportunities afforded her: “I have been told over and over that ‘a Hanover education will get you so far in life,’ and being a senior, I have already seen the benefits of my Hanover education. I have been able to network with many alumni who want to see me succeed and help me land a career in my dream field after graduation. I landed an internship in the summer of my junior year that I believe I would not have gotten without the Hanover alumni network. Furthermore, I believe that my liberal arts education puts me at an advantage over those who have not received the same education as me. I have taken a variety of classes outside of my major that has greatly contributed to making me a well-rounded student. I also believe that Hanover has inspired me to become a leader on campus, that I do not think I would have done at a different institution.”
Libby works in the Office of Admission as a student ambassador and in the Horner Center. She has served as the Vice President, Treasurer and Student Senate Representative for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), and as a First-Year Peer Advisor and Peer Mentor two years in a row. Libby also just finished serving a term as President of Phi Mu Fraternity and continues to stay involved within Phi Mu in any way that she can.
A kinesiology and integrative physiology major and Health Sciences Program member, Libby found her community in FCA and Phi Mu. During her first year at Hanover, together with her roommate Teylor Ellis ’20, they restarted the Fellowship of Christian Athletes: “When we brought this idea to Coach T, he was more than willing to do anything and everything he could to help us in this journey. I think that if it was not for being a part of such a supportive campus, we would not have been able to make FCA happen. We grew from a small start-up club to holding a May Term kickball tournament where the proceeds were donated to the ALS Association.”
And that’s the beauty of Hanover.
