One of the most pivotal points in a young person’s life is leaving home and moving into a college dormitory. This marker on the timeline of life is one of the most memorable and fun experiences. When you move away from home to start your first year of college, you get a rush of excitement and independence. The anticipation of getting college life started is a life event worth hearing about. 

Noah Mayo is first-year at William Jewell College and comes from Plainfield, Illinois, where he attended Wheaton Academy. Plainfield is located in the suburbs of Chicago –  about 45 minutes outside of the city. He admits that “being far from home is hard.” Although Mayo misses home at times, he appreciates getting to experience living in a smaller city. I can relate to Mayo as I hail from south Texas. Noah, you will get used to it, man! 

Mayo was attracted to Jewell because he wanted to receive a liberal arts education. He is interested in the thought-provoking style that accompanies the liberal arts curriculum. Mayo seeks to view the world through a broad lens so that he can understand and appreciate it more. His eagerness to learn to think and not merely acquire information aligns with what Jewell stands for. 

Mayo is majoring in Oxbridge: Institutions and Policy – part of the Oxbridge Honors Program at Jewell. The Oxbridge Honors Program requires more commitment and thought than the traditional college major. 

“[I] knew that the Oxbridge Honors Program, especially the Institutions and Policy major, would give me the tools I needed to be successful for my future career,” Mayo said.

Mayo wants to eventually go to law school, and he knew this from the very start. He can already see that the Oxbridge Introductory Seminar –  the first Oxbridge-specific class in the four-year Oxbridge journey – prepares him to understand, speak and write about arguments with a critical eye. As a future lawyer, the skill-set of understanding the structure of an argument is an imperative one. So far, Mayo is delighted to see that what he thought he would get out of the Oxbridge Honors Program is coming to life. 

When Mayo is not studying, reading or writing, he runs as a sprinter on the Jewell track team  His featured event is the men’s 400-meter. Getting the opportunity to run college track was another influential component of Noah’s decision to come to Jewell. He is grateful for the chance to compete at a high-level as Jewell is part of the NCAA Great Lakes Valley Conference Division II. As Mayo’s daily training partner, I can attest that he is dedicated to competing at such a high-level. Noah is hopeful to speed-up his 400 time and enjoys living as a college student-athlete. 

Mayo’s favorite part about Jewell is the small class size.

“At a bigger school, it is easy to hide – but here, that’s not really an option!” said Mayo. 

Mayo understands that you cannot fake your way through understanding the content here at Jewell, because the professors will know. He appreciates what a small class setting will do for him as a future lawyer. Mainly, because in a small classroom, he is forced to speak up and voice his opinions. Noah recognizes the benefits that come with a smaller school, and he appreciates the uniqueness of how it can help a person grow as an individual. 

A fun fact about Mayo is that he loves soul music. Some of his favorite artists include Sam Cook, Marvin Gaye, The O’Jays and the Temptations. If you are into that genre of music, send a few tracks his way! 

Mayo comes from a place that is far from Jewell, but he is managing to adapt and is learning to live in a new environment. As a first-year at William Jewell College, he recognizes what this place is all about. Although Mayo began his inaugural college year during a global pandemic, he still finds a way to get the most from his education and time on campus.

Good luck during your first year in college, Noah, and don’t forget that there “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” 

Dr. Robert Wells is an associate professor of Spanish at William Jewell College. Wells is entering his sixth year at Jewell and has demonstrated an outstanding ability to invoke engagement in the classroom. As a Jewell student who has taken a couple of Wells’ Spanish courses, I can attest to his unique ability to make Spanish a fun and enjoyable language to learn, speak and write. Although these times are strange due to the global pandemic, Wells still intends on teaching his courses at the same level of excellence as previous semesters.

Here is how he is doing that:

Wells knew that the pandemic would change the dialogue-heavy style of his courses. Spanish is a language that requires face-to-face interaction so that people can speak to one another. Without this component of learning in the regular classroom, Spanish can prove even more challenging to learn. However, Wells remains committed to ensuring his students learn Spanish, despite the added challenge

Currently, Wells is teaching three Spanish courses this semester through a hybrid model. The hybrid model consists of a blend of both in-person and virtual meetings. For instance, a student enrolled in Spanish 211 will have a weekly hybrid schedule that looks similar to this:

Monday: Meet face-to-face
Wednesday: Meet on Zoom
Friday: Complete activities on Moodle

Wells uses a collaborative, multimedia slide-show that holds images, videos and voice recordings called VoiceThread. VoiceThread grants Wells and his students the ability to converse in Spanish by using the audio recording feature. Wells has integrated VoiceThread as a defining part of his courses during the COVID-19 times. By using this engaging tech-tool, Wells can effectively administer a dialogue-enriched learning environment.

When away from Jewell, Wells continues to put his creative mind to fair use. Wells loves to watch movies, which is helpful as a Spanish professor. Wells also purchased an at-home projector during quarantine, which has enhanced the movie-watching experience. Wells is also a part of a movie club with some of his friends, where Wells and his friends will watch a movie and then discuss their opinions and observations about it over FaceTime. Wells appreciates the artistic and intellectual stimulation he gets from the movie club. In addition to his movie club, Wells keeps up on his reading of various types of literature.

As of late, Wells uses his time to reconnect and catch-up with old friends he has not talked to in a while. Although Zoom and Facetime are the primary ways Wells communicates with his old friends, he stated that “in some ways, I am in better contact with them than before the pandemic.”

Wells enjoys going outside for long dog walks with his border collie mix named Pilar. Wells regards being outdoors as an essential part of his life, especially now. He appreciates the time spent with Pilar and is thankful for their time together.

Something Wells misses are the daily interactions he has with his students and fellow faculty members – he truly values the moments he shares with other people. During the isolation and loneliness, Wells remains hopeful we will all interact like once before.

As of Aug. 1, Wells has been appointed as the Faculty Advisor for The Hilltop Monitor. This is a new position for Wells, and he has been preparing for the role during the 2020 summer while simultaneously teaching his summer online CTI course, The U.S.-Latinx Experience. Wells is excited about his new role and is committed to the importance of journalism.

Wells is a great model for how a person should think and act during COVID-19. In the classroom, Wells is still able to deliver his courses with an engaging atmosphere and provide a healthy and safe learning environment. At home, he finds ways to maximize his time and connect with other people from earlier and more recent times in his life.

Wells is a reminder that even though COVID-19 has changed all of our lives, the one thing that will remain constant is his love and care for his students at William Jewell College.