Many students come to Geneva and pursue an engineering, business, education or any of the college’s nearly 40 bachelor’s degrees. Others come to Geneva without declaring a major, taking advantage of services offered through Career Development to help them select a career path. Savanna Hogan, a sophomore commuter student from Ellwood City, PA, however chose Geneva in order to earn an independent degree—archaeology.

The Beaver County local said, “I was drawn to Geneva mainly because I found that I could work toward my goal of becoming an archaeologist through the Bible department, and study archaeology for a semester at Jerusalem University College.”

“I chose archaeology because I really like studying history and would love to actively pursue that in a more hands-on type setting. When I was younger, I was always fascinated by Ancient Egypt and always thought it would be neat to go on digs there.” Archaeology cannot be found under the “Majors & Programs” section of Geneva’s web site. And when looking for a college at which she could study archaeology, Savanna understood that her options would be limited and that she would have to take a more unconventional approach.

“Since Geneva doesn't actually offer a major in archaeology, I contacted Dr. Dean Smith and he told me about a study abroad archaeology class that Geneva offers, as well as suggested classes and things to look into further.” In addition to focusing on her studies, Savanna is working to help commuters with some of the challenges they may face. “Most importantly, you have to put out more effort to meet people since you don't live in the dorm communities.” Because it can be more difficult to connect socially as a commuter student, Savanna has been intentional about getting involved. She said, “Activities that I participate in at Geneva are Marching Band, Symphonic Band, Percussion Ensemble, Chemistry Club and History Club.”

Savanna also serves in a new leadership role as a Commuter Life Coordinator (CLC). CLCs are focused primarily on serving the college’s commuter population by supporting and providing connections for these students. “I am excited to be a CLC because, with my experiences as a commuter student, I want to help others better transition into college life. I want to help them get connected to each other as well as to residential students.”

Savanna hopes that the experiences she has at Geneva will help her to reach her goals after her graduation. In order to become an archaeologist, Savanna said, “After Geneva, I plan on advancing my education by pursuing a Ph.D. in archaeology.”

-Christopher Strangfeld ’13