A Global Citizen

by Matt Getty

Christian Beitel 鈥�13鈥檚 time at Dickinson has been full to the point of overflowing. In just three years he has played on two Centennial Conference champion lacrosse teams, completed a semester abroad and a summer-long independent study on Dickinson鈥檚 global education efforts in M谩laga, Spain, and completed the first section of the Marine Corps Platoon Leaders Course鈥攁ll while double majoring in international studies and Spanish.

鈥淚f you want something, go and get it,鈥� Beitel says. 鈥淒ickinson has shown me I can do that.鈥� Beitel was attracted to Dickinson because it offered him the chance to play lacrosse while still having the chance to study abroad and benefit from a useful liberal-arts education in a small, close-knit community. But he knew that the price tag presented a daunting challenge.

鈥淚 loved Dickinson so much that I applied here and nowhere else,鈥� he says. 鈥淚f I hadn鈥檛 gotten enough aid, I would have had to go somewhere else, I guess.鈥�

Thanks to generous scholarship donors, Beitel didn鈥檛 have to guess. He received sufficient financial aid to come to Dickinson, where he has been able to study international relations and gain fluency in Spanish鈥攏ot only through small classes but also by living in M谩laga, interacting daily with its people and coming to love and respect its rich cultural history.

鈥淭here鈥檚 something about actually being there that you can鈥檛 get from reading books, watching movies or pointing out cities on a map,鈥� Beitel explains. 鈥淕oing to foreign cities with like-minded Dickinsonians and being fully immersed in the Spanish culture have changed me for the better.鈥�

Poised to graduate this spring, Beitel eyes the future with confidence. He鈥檚 considering completing his officer training to become a second lieutenant in the Marines or looking into teaching and coaching opportunities. Whatever he does, Beitel knows he wants his work to make a difference鈥攁nd he knows scholarship donors have already made a significant difference in his life.

鈥淵ou鈥檙e not just giving your money to an arbitrary cause,鈥� says Beitel. 鈥淚t goes toward the formation of global citizens who are going to go out into the world and pay it forward after four years of working hard to better ourselves and the college. You鈥檙e giving life to students鈥� dreams.鈥�

Published October 12, 2012

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