Today is Mountain Day, a great long-standing tradition of Williams, and it causes me to reflect on my first year here at Williams. My time before coming here had been spent primarily in large research institutions, but I knew that I wanted to end up at a small liberal arts college. Eventually that landed me in Williamstown.
I didn’t quite know what to expect from a small college tucked away in the Berkshires, but it didn’t take long for me to fall in love with this place and be proud to call it home. There are many reasons for this, although it’s impossible to pinpoint a single defining one. Perhaps it’s the students, who are intelligent, motivated, and teach me just as much as I teach them. Or perhaps it’s the faculty in the math department, who are inspiring teachers and brilliant individuals, but are also fun to be around and always have some interesting stories to tell over lunch (come join us one day, you’ll see!). Maybe it’s the fall colors (check out the view from my office!) and watching the mountains change from season to season.
Either way, happy Mountain Day!