Westmont Magazine In Brief  

New Students Get High Marks

In August, Westmont welcomed 340 new students to campus. The incoming class of 2009 is one of the strongest in college history: Their honors grade-point average is 3.95, up from 3.86 last year, their average SAT score is 1230, up 10 points. Westmont received a record 2,093 applications for admission this fall. The new students include eight National Merit Scholars, bringing the total on campus to 20. Also, 68 percent of the first-year students are Academic Merit Scholars, meaning they received one of several Westmont scholarships based on academic excellence.

The class of 2009 is also the most racially diverse. Twenty-six percent of the 340 first-year students are of color, compared to 25 percent last year. And 25 percent of all new students (which includes transfer students) are of color, an overall increase of five percent over last year. There will also be two new international students, bringing the total number on campus to 10.

Leading Students

Two students have received $3,700 Intercultural Leadership awards for their work on campus diversity. Westmont established the award to develop and encourage student leaders who are committed to promoting diversity on campus.
Gloria Tebelman, a junior from San Diego, Calif., is studying art. She has been an active member of Intercultural Programs and has worked on Westmont’s yearbook, the Citadel. She hopes to help other students grow in their understanding of cross-cultural issues.

The other honoree, Jamie Gates, is a sophomore from Seattle, Wash., who is studying psychology. She has also been actively involved with Intercultural Programs as well as Westmont’s Activities and Clubs Council. Jamie says her Yakima grandmother taught her to respect other cultures.