Aside from taking and acing classes, what did you do in college? It’s a question I ask myself pretty much every time I finish interviewing a current student at Marietta College. I know for certain I wasn’t doing what they’re doing.

That was a compliment — to them — but in my defense, Star Trek: Next Generation and The X Files were kind of a big deal, and let’s not forget Murder, She Wrote. There’s a name for non-studious geeks like me: dweebs.

Today’s students are involved in events, clubs and service organizations, and many of them are involved in more than one. The students I spoke with for some of the stories in this issue were tackling challenging majors such as Biochemistry, Physics and Political Science, but were also involved in organizations such as Marietta Mindset, the National Society of Leadership and Success, and Student Government. They also tutored, intended to serve as Certified Peer Educators, and planned campus and community events such as the Lunar New Year Celebration.

What these students are doing reflects the promise that we make when we recruit high school students to come to Marietta: they become a part of a community, and they find their friends and get involved in important things outside of their academic major. They are preparing to be involved members of their communities — wherever they land after graduation. It’s an added benefit to choosing a college like Marietta.

So when our students graduate, they’ve earned far more than just a degree. They’ve earned new interests, new friends, new memories, and a specific skillset that comes when you work with others to discover and achieve a common goal.