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May 19, 2023Century College alum Eva Ballard knows exactly where she’s going in her life and career. A strategic planner, she made careful choices while still in high school, enrolling in Century College’s Post-Secondary Enrollment (PSEO) program She then spent a year at the College, taking her General Education courses for the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (MnTC) Curriculum
“Century College was close to home and affordable. It made more sense to do a year at Century after high school,” Eva says. “And I knew that all my credits would transfer.”
Century College: A Family Tradition
Eva is part of a Century College family. Her father attended the College when it was known as Lakewood, and he minored in history. Like her dad, Eva has always been fascinated with history, too. She comes from a family that cherishes intellectual curiosity.
“I’ve always enjoyed watching documentaries, and reading books about history,” Eva enthuses. “And, in my freshman year of high school, we visited Belize and toured two archeological sites, one of which was still active.”
This fall, Eva will transfer to Hamline University in St. Paul, where she will major in Anthropology, with a focus on Archeology and Biology, and a minor in Spanish.
By working hard in the PSEO program, taking summer session classes along with a full year at the College, Eva has basically completed two years of credits in just a year and a half.
Century College Outstanding Student Award
One of the best experiences Eva had at the College was taking two of Anthropology faculty member Paul Roach’s classes at the same time, Intro to Biological Anthropology and Cultural Anthropology.
“The first professors you have in your field can make or break you. These classes were great. I got a lot more out of both, and I was able to understand the material for each course better. I was able to make connections. One of the classes was online and one was an in-person class,” she remembers.
Another course Eva enjoyed was Human Geography with Geography faculty member David Lyons. Because of her love of learning and hard work, Eva was asked to be a tutor for her peers in Composition, Anthropology, and Human Geography.
Additionally, Eva recently earned a 2023 Outstanding Student Award in Geography. “I was very pleased and surprised when I found out about the Outstanding Student Award, but I worked very hard, too,” she notes.
Eva also scheduled time to enjoy some of the many events sponsored by Student Life. “I went to a couple of open mics and stand ups,” Eva says. “Also, because of my interest in Spanish, I went to Century’s Cinco de Mayo festival, and really enjoyed that.”
A Bright Future, Thanks to a Solid Foundation at Century
Once Eva gets her Bachelor’s degree, she plans to continue and will get her Master’s and PhD. “I’m going to be either a Paleoanthropologist or a Forensic Anthropologist,” she says. ”I will either work in academia or for a museum or institution. Basically, I am willing to go anywhere, but I am particularly interested in early human migration through the Americas.
With her drive and strong work ethic, Eva’s future looks bright, and Century College played a role in creating a good educational foundation.
“It was great to start at Century College because it was a lot less stressful than going to a four-year college right away. I could focus on my coursework, and get used to college. In addition, I learned great study habits, so now I’m well prepared for Hamline.”
“Everyone at Century College is so friendly, happy, and helpful,” Eva adds. “I’m really happy I went there, but sad to be done. I’m grateful I went to Century. I had a great experience.”
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