More than a major, the Whittier Scholars Program (#WCScholars) is an approach to education that focuses on purpose, planning, commitment, and community. We are a community of students, faculty, and alumni who design customized educational paths in order to actualize individual aptitudes and ambitions. The approximately 10% of Whittier College students that join “Scholars” integrate all aspects of their college experience into blueprints for lives of expanding exploration and purposeful action.
In a series of small seminars, students connect experiences across a spectrum of fields, discern their academic focus, and connect their co-curricular activities with their aspirations and burgeoning skills to form a durable launchpad toward their futures. These launchpads are created by students with close mentorship from members of the Whittier Scholars Council. Called “educational designs,” they incorporate 4-6 courses in the Scholars Program, a carefully curated selection of courses from all divisions of the College, at least one off-campus learning experience such as an internship or international study, a mentored capstone project, and a digital portfolio that curates and reflects each student’s goals and growing expertise.
