For Class of 2007 Salutatorian Leigh Ann Holterman, the path to exceptionally high grades was clear from day one of her first year at Union.
“I made sure I was on top of my work. I spent a lot of time figuring out what needed to get done, and I got it done,” Holterman said. “I also paid attention in class, and I really threw myself into the work and learning process.”
But class work is just one side of Holterman’s life at Union.
The psychology major also had a range of other interests, like starting a student-run babysitting service for College faculty and staff, booking comedians including The Daily Show’s John Oliver to perform at Memorial Chapel and working as an Admissions interviewer senior year. And as a French minor, she completed a term abroad in fall 2005 at the University of Rennes 2.
“I am grateful that I had the chance to do it all at Union," Holterman said. “I think it gave me a good, strong background in different areas, so when I go out into the real world, I will be able to pick and choose from those experiences. And also, it was a lot of fun getting to know different people.”
Holterman grew up in the Pine Hills neighborhood of nearby Albany and is a graduate of Albany High School. She was the 2007 Lisa S. Gerhan Memorial Award winner, given to a Union student who shows academic excellence, a commitment to the field of psychology and the potential for future contributions to the field.
She recently accepted a job as a research assistant at the Burlington, Vt., offices of Macro International, Inc., a research and consulting firm. Holterman plans to pursue a doctoral degree in industrial and organizational psychology in the fall of 2008.