Meet Transfer Intern CJ

Why hello there!  This is my very first blog post, and I just wanted to give you all a brief introduction.  My name is CJ Anderson and I’m a sophomore, majoring in Chinese Language and Literature, and I plan to add either a minor or a second major at some point along the journey.

What do I do at William & Mary?  Many different activities, to tell you the truth!  In addition to serving as a Transfer Student Intern, I serve on the Honor and Student Conduct Appeals Committee, intern at William & Mary’s Confucius Institute, and work in the athletic department as a hall supervisor and event staff for home football games.  I also volunteer with William & Mary’s Campus Kitchens Project, where I work as a mentor and serve on the Exec Board as the Finance Chair.

I absolutely love life at W&M!  I forgot to reveal the secret earlier, so this may be a good place to mention it: I am a transfer student at William & Mary (I know, it’s a surprise, but don’t tell anyone else). Here is my story, in a nutshell:

I knew I wanted to attend William & Mary for many reasons.  I visited during my senior year of high school and instantly loved it.  The small-town feel was a nice contrast to my high school experience in Washington, D.C.  Secondly, W&M has a robust and comprehensive Chinese and East Asian Studies program, and I knew I wanted to major in one of those.  Lastly, every student I interacted with was in such a great mood.  After our campus tour, I went off on my own for a bit, talking with several students about their life at the university and what they thought of W&M.  I even (I should say thankfully) got a math professor to help me with a calculus project!  After spending almost an entire day on campus, I knew I could see myself living here for my college years.

However, my secondary school grades prevented me from receiving the ever-anticipated acceptance letter in the mail.  Thus, knowing I needed to improve that low GPA of mine, I enrolled in a small college in Virginia.  After a year of studying there, I applied to William & Mary in the spring of 2014.  Luckily enough, I eventually received that acceptance letter I had sought over a year before!

Life here has been excellent, and I love meeting new people and talking with my professors whenever I can.  College is an exciting first step after high school, and I am proud to say I am taking that step in Williamsburg at this fabulous institution!

– CJ Anderson