Bringing YJ4L enthusiasm to campus, a large and diverse class of 730 first-year students joined the Baldwin Wallace community during Week of Welcome.
They hail from 27 states and have impressive scholastic achievement as well as leadership, service and co-curricular involvement. They bring exceptional talent and accomplishments to the BW community, comprised of 3,200 students enrolled in undergraduate, graduate and professional programs.
Among notable statistics, 22% of the first-year class are students of color, and 94 students are members of the BW Honors Program. Nearly one-third of the students are the first in their families to pursue a four-year degree, a reflection of BW’s ongoing commitment to first-generation college students.
An inaugural group of student-athletes will be joining their Yellow Jacket peers as members of BW’s newest sports – men’s and women’s bowling and women’s STUNT.
Also beginning their first semester at BW are 92 transfer students and 127 graduate students.
"We are so pleased and proud to welcome this large and accomplished incoming class to our campus community," said Dr. Scott Schulz, vice president for enrollment management. "Our admission and financial aid teams work hard to showcase the BW community. My sincere thanks to them and to our faculty and staff, who met with students and families throughout the year. They highlight BW’s outstanding academics and our robust and engaging student life programs, where students can connect, engage and grow throughout their time at BW.”
Dr. Timeka Rashid, vice president for student affairs, works closely with the admission team as recruitment partners to ensure that prospective students have a successful orientation and Week of Welcome experience. But that is only the start of what Rashid and her team do. They are central to providing students with meaningful outside-of-classroom experiences that complement their academic studies.
"We want each student to have an amazing college experience," said Rashid. "And to celebrate the start of the new year, we are having an all-campus Convocation Celebration on Thursday, Aug. 24," she noted. "This special event is just one of the many ways we unite in sharing our YJ4L pride. It’s going to be a wonderful and extraordinary year!"
