Nestled among the trees atop a hill in Liberty, Missouri, hides one of the best kept secrets in education...William Jewell College. With its recent highlight as Time Magazine's "Liberal Arts College of the Year", this hidden "jewel(l)" stands to finally get the attention it deserves. (http://www.jewell.edu/contacts/headlines/headline_446.html)

William Jewell College offers a plethora of opportunity to its students, from its Pryor Leadership Program to its Oxbridge Honors overseas study program. As a student, I was able to work on the newspaper, the yearbook and the college radio, gaining great experience in all three mediums. The class sizes are small enough that the professors get to know the students, really taking an interest in their educational growth. As a graduate of a large university for graduate school, I really came to appreciate my Jewell experience, with its experiential and theoretical learning components and small class sizes. At Jewell you are not a number, you are a valued member of a community.

Many athletic options are available for those students who may not be drafted into the NBA or NFL, but still long to continue playing their sport in college. The spirit squad, particularly the dance team, is a nationally ranked competitor.

Jewell has produced many leaders, including the National Chair of Disaster Services for the American Red Cross; the top aide to the U.S. Attorney General; and 1998 National Coach of the Year (by the Associated Press) Kansas State football coach Bill Snyder.

And Jewell is highly respected. While interning in Washington, DC, my senior year in college, I happened to be wearing a William Jewell warm-up jacket on the Metro. A man from a very well-known newspaper gave me his card and said to call him when I graduated--he said he was a fan of the college and would like to offer me a job. It just so happened that the internship the college sent me on also led to a position in the U.S. Senate immediately after graduation, so I didn't need to call him, but it certainly opened my eyes to what a degree from William Jewell could produce.

While Jewell's small size is not for everyone, it makes for a great educational opportunity. The social life is not limited by the college size; students form bonds for a lifetime and the college is just a few minutes from Kansas City for those needing a little city excitement.

Overall, the college is a true "jewell" of a school. Financial aid packages help to defray the cost of the private school and the education the students receive is more than worth the money.

"Cardinal is her color, Jewell is her name." Definitely rates an "excellent" with me. http://www.jewell.edu





Recommended: Yes