Ethan Joseph
For some Geneva students, like biology major Ethan Joseph, Geneva College has been a part of their life for as long as they can remember. Ethan’s family has a long history at Geneva—his parents met here, and his sisters, cousins, grandparents, uncles, aunts, great-uncles, great-aunts and brother-in-law all attended Geneva.
Initially, Ethan thought about enrolling in a big state school near his home, like the University of Georgia or Georgia Tech. But after visiting Geneva, two things in particular changed his mind: first, he noticed how great and personable the faculty and staff are; and then he was impressed by how well faith was integrated into campus life, both inside and outside the classroom.
“When I visited Geneva everybody was really nice and seemed genuinely interested in me as a person,” says Ethan. “I realized that if I went to a big state school, I would be lost in the crowd and become just a number. And coming from a public high school, it was encouraging and invigorating to see intelligent Christian academia that is so serious about faith.”
Ethan decided to study biology as his major because he enjoyed the class in high school. “As I started taking biology classes at Geneva, my love for the field grew even more. I'm fascinated with the overwhelming and complex intricacies of the human body. Psalm 139 says we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Studying biology shows how true that is.”
So far, Ethan’s favorite classes have been anatomy and physiology with Dr. Sas. “The class basically teaches you everything you were curious about, but never knew about the human body.” Ethan appreciates Dr. Sas’s lecture style because it involves a lot of illustrations drawn on the board. “I’m a visual learner so this teaching style was perfect for me.”
Ethan also likes Dr. Yowler, his advisor. He is taking his third class with Dr. Yowler this semester and appreciates his straight and matter-of-fact way of teaching. “Dr. Yowler’s teaching philosophy puts a lot of responsibility on the students for how well they do in his class,” says Ethan. “He realizes that we are not in high school anymore and treats us as responsible adults who genuinely want to be there.”
Ethan is also involved in Geneva’s club volleyball and is a member of the Genevans concert choir. His favorite events on campus are MGN and Film Fest. “It’s great to see the artistic and creative side of students,” he says. “These events give the opportunity for students to display God-given talents in a fun and dynamic way.”
Since coming to Geneva, Ethan believes he has grown stronger in his faith, which is very important to him. The faculty and staff have also helped and encourage Ethan to find his calling in life and to rely on God in every situation. He is also happy that he can continue his family’s legacy at Geneva.
- Ji Yun Bae ’12