Erin Wiens St. John ’19, Hunsaker Scholar
Hails from: Marin County, Calif.
When Redlands crossed her radar: Erin has never not known about Redlands, she says. Her mother is an alumna, as well as her grandparents and eight other members of the extended family.
Early memories: “My earliest memory is probably inside the basketball stadium,” says Erin. “We would visit every Christmas and my grandparents would take us to basketball games. When I was about 2 years old someone thought it would be fun to teach me the “Och Tamale” chant.
To apply or not to apply: As Erin got older and started hearing about other universities, she was “not so interested in Redlands,” but applied anyway.
Pivot points: A few factors brought Redlands back into focus for her. Being awarded a prestigious Hunsaker Scholarship was one of them. “I knew I’d have access to a group of students I’d be able to connect with.” The next pivotal moment came when she met with Mary Grace Maloney and Kelly Hankin at the Johnston Center and realized it was “a dream come true” for an independent learner like herself who was always trying to personalize her education.
Favorite studying spot: A hammock outside Bekins.
Favorite class: “Christian scriptures with Lillian Larsen because it combines my academic interest and also challenges my faith and makes me think about things in a different way.” Other favorites: Introduction to American Politics with Steve Wuhs and Lesbians, Gays and Religious Controversies with Amy Moff Hudek.
Favorite out-of-classroom activity? Going to First Presbyterian Church in San Bernardino with her grandparents. “They pick me up at 8:20 a.m. every Sunday morning.” Erin sings in the church choir
and teaches adult Sunday school.
Biggest surprise: “The narrative that gets ingrained in you visiting places like Yale and Stanford is that only top-ranked universities equal top professors. But that’s so not the case. With professors like Lillian Larsen and Monty Hempel, I’ve found some brilliant research minds here. And because it’s a small university I’ve been able to work with them personally doing groundbreaking research.”
The Richard and Virginia Hunsaker Scholarship Prize, designed to attract excellent students from diverse backgrounds, is awarded annually to a small number of exceptional incoming Redlands students with the ability to positively affect the academic and extracurricular experience at the University. Visit hunsakerscholarshipprize.org to meet the 2016 Hunsaker Scholars.
