Born and raised in Billings, Montana, Sawyer Ferguson C’15 decided Salem College was the right place for her for four main reasons:

1. Salem is different from the other colleges in Montana most high school students from her home state choose to attend.
2. Salem is a small college, which assured Sawyer that attention from her professors would be superior (and it was, said Sawyer).
3. The amount of extracurricular activities Salem College has to offer is tremendous, and Sawyer liked the way Salem encouraged participation and worked with student athletes.
4. Salem has been around for a very long time, which Sawyer says speaks for itself.

“I was a student athlete and was intensely involved with soccer. This is the main reason I came to Salem College. The first season I broke my leg, and it was pretty tragic. EVERY SINGLE COACH, CLASSMATE, TEAMMATE, PROFESSOR, TRAINER and ADMINISTRATOR accommodated and supported me being in a wheelchair (and missing class) above and beyond what you’d expect any college to do, Sawyer said. They literally switched classrooms to the bottom floor of the science building FOR ME, and not one person complained.”

“That meant the absolute world to me, and although it would have been the easier decision to drop out and move back home to Montana due to the tremendous amount of discomfort, both physically and emotionally, and the fact that I did not have any family around for 2,000 miles, this support gave me the strength to not give up, she added. I knew at that point; Salem was going to be my home for four more years.”

After graduating from Salem, Sawyer went to dental school, which, like any graduate program, isn’t easy. That didn’t slow down Sawyer for a second. With the “Be Remarkable” education she received from Salem; Sawyer did extremely well in dental school.

“Not only did I excel in my studies in dental school, but I also found I could join clubs and volunteer programs. I really do not know if I would have had the strong mindset and determination to do all of this if it hadn’t been for Salem, Sawyer said. The comradery that Salem offers encourages you naturally to want to participate in more; and although it adds to your responsibilities, the support that is provided allows you to achieve this, which in the end teaches you how to handle a large workload.”

Sawyer is enthusiastic about Salem’s Health Leadership focus and said her undergraduate experience prepared her well for dental school. “The inclusiveness of all your classes and the relationships you build with your professors and classmates at Salem really has an impact on your learning. I’d have to say this had the largest impact on me for learning while an undergraduate and preparing for post-grad. I did not feel unprepared at all when I arrived at dental school, if anything, I felt well above average for sure. Coming from Salem College, an all-women’s private college, does stand out on a resume!”

Like many Salem alumnae, Sawyer’s favorite place on campus is the May Dell. In addition, she loves the deep history and traditions of Salem as well as the beauty of the entire campus. She has advice for high school students who are considering Salem for college.

“In my opinion, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. If your actual goal for college is to excel and prepare yourself as much as possible for your future, whether that is more school or a job, Salem College outweighs a large university by far, she said. When the time comes for graduation, and you have to find three references to apply to whatever it is you want to do, do you think you will have developed a relationship with three of your professors at a large institution enough where they can truly write about you?”

“At Salem College, it was difficult for me to narrow down who I was going to ask to write my references because I was so close to many of my teachers. All of whom, I could honestly say, knew me as a person, not just a student. Now that is not something most alumnae can say about their college, Sawyer added. Salem College will always be in my heart, and I can easily say it was an absolute pivotal time in my life.”