CCU Alumni Find Open Doors into Prestigious Graduate Programs
Colorado Christian University recent graduate Trevor Simmons (Torrington, Wyoming) spent this spring sifting through postgraduate acceptance offers from some of the nation's leading history programs, among them, the University of Kansas, University of Colorado-Boulder, and Ohio University. CCU's top history student for the 2006-2007 academic year, Simmons has accepted the John K. Rice Fellowship at Boulder, where he will enroll in an impressive six-year Ph.D. program.
Upon completion of his doctoral degree, Simmons plans to become a professor of British history.
"Trevor is without a doubt the finest student I have had in 25 years of teaching," stated CCU Professor of History Dr. William Watson. Simmons credits CCU in guiding his transition between high school and future plans, noting the constant encouragement received from professors as a primary inspiration toward his pursuit of a career in academia.
As part of CCU's study abroad program, Simmons spent his third and final year of college at the University of Oxford in England. Under the tutelage of several elite faculty members, he maintained a 3.975 GPA across two terms of challenging coursework that focused chiefly on the history of Britain since 1870.
"Trevor made full use of opportunities for weekly debate in tutoria...and thrived in an atmosphere of academic rigor," commented Dr. Elizabeth Baigent, Reader at the University of Oxford and Senior Tutor for the Scholarship and Christianity in Oxford (SCIO) program in which Simmons participated.
In addition to Simmons, several other CCU alumni have been newly accepted into top graduate programs:
Garrett Shields (2005 graduate)--Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies (ranked one of the nation's top two master's degree programs in international relations). Shields passed the Foreign Service Exam and has interned with the World Affairs Council in Washington, D.C.
Jessica Morrison (2004)--University of Denver, Graduate School of International Studies. Morrison taught English for one year in Japan and spent the following two with the Peace Corps in Bulgaria.
Sarah Whittaker (2004)--University of Cairo, Egypt, graduate program in Teaching English as a Foreign Language
Brian Wood (2002)--University of California-Berkeley, doctoral program in Middle Eastern History. Wood earned a master's degree in Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Chicago and then another in Arabic from Georgetown University.
Upon completion of his doctoral degree, Simmons plans to become a professor of British history.
"Trevor is without a doubt the finest student I have had in 25 years of teaching," stated CCU Professor of History Dr. William Watson. Simmons credits CCU in guiding his transition between high school and future plans, noting the constant encouragement received from professors as a primary inspiration toward his pursuit of a career in academia.
As part of CCU's study abroad program, Simmons spent his third and final year of college at the University of Oxford in England. Under the tutelage of several elite faculty members, he maintained a 3.975 GPA across two terms of challenging coursework that focused chiefly on the history of Britain since 1870.
"Trevor made full use of opportunities for weekly debate in tutoria...and thrived in an atmosphere of academic rigor," commented Dr. Elizabeth Baigent, Reader at the University of Oxford and Senior Tutor for the Scholarship and Christianity in Oxford (SCIO) program in which Simmons participated.
In addition to Simmons, several other CCU alumni have been newly accepted into top graduate programs:
Garrett Shields (2005 graduate)--Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies (ranked one of the nation's top two master's degree programs in international relations). Shields passed the Foreign Service Exam and has interned with the World Affairs Council in Washington, D.C.
Jessica Morrison (2004)--University of Denver, Graduate School of International Studies. Morrison taught English for one year in Japan and spent the following two with the Peace Corps in Bulgaria.
Sarah Whittaker (2004)--University of Cairo, Egypt, graduate program in Teaching English as a Foreign Language
Brian Wood (2002)--University of California-Berkeley, doctoral program in Middle Eastern History. Wood earned a master's degree in Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Chicago and then another in Arabic from Georgetown University.