Why I Chose EMU

Pallas Schuster: ‘There are so many ways to grow as a person.’

As a double-major in Social Work and Psychology, Pallas Schuster was a very busy student. But she still made time to welcome prospective Eastern students as an Admissions tour guide.

“I wanted to share my story with students and help them through the process of selecting a college,” says Schuster, who graduated in April, 2020 and plans on pursuing a master’s degree in social work. “When I visited Eastern as a prospective student, everyone I interacted with was very excited to meet me and get to know me.”

Eastern’s compact campus and smaller class sizes were also selling points for Schuster.

“Eastern is a medium-sized school that offers lots of resources, but it also has a ‘small school’ feeling,” she says. “Our campus is also easily walkable. I would always see lots of friends while walking from class to class.”

Unforgettable experiences

Schuster’s most engaging college experience was her Social Work study-abroad elective—an International Service Learning class in Jamaica.

“We visited a rural part of Jamaica and immersed ourselves in their culture,” she says. “We also performed service work in the community by teaching some of their academy students to practice peer mediation. It was inspiring to see their bright minds implementing the class materials. This elective was so much better than just taking a vacation to some tourist destination in Jamaica.”

Personal growth opportunities also abound at Eastern, Schuster says.

“I held a position on the Social Welfare Action Alliance,” she says. “During an Alternative Spring Break in 2018, I worked with a domestic violence shelter in Chicago. Through these experiences, I’ve learned a lot about myself. When you come to Eastern there are so many things to do, people to meet and ways to grow.”