Campus
Megan Neeley
October 19, 2021
Alma College provides students with the opportunity to travel, serve and explore by financially contributing to their personalized journeys provided by the Alma Venture Program.
In order to apply classroom experiences to the real world, a minimum of $2500, and sometimes more, is allotted to each applicant who seeks an individualized experience on- or off-campus. In fact, over 1.5 million dollars has been awarded to students since 2015.
These awards often fall into two categories within the Alma Venture Program. The first is the Junior Year Applied Experience. This is a clinical experience, research opportunity, or study abroad adventure that consists of a minimum of 150 hours.
The second category is listed as the Serve Generously, Lead Purposefully, and Live Responsibly Venture Awards. Eligibility under this category includes: volunteer experience at a nonprofit organization; presenting research at a conference; or an internship experience that allows students to explore the next steps in their personal or professional life.
There is no maximum number of times that one student can apply for a Venture grant. Many students apply multiple times and have used these Venture grants in a wide variety of ways. Some students stay on campus and some travel overseas. Kyle Kansman ‘17 used his Venture grant to help offset the cost of the Animal Rehabilitation Internship at the Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Florida.
Kansman insists that “the experience reassured [his] passion for animal rehab.” In further reflection of his Venture experience, he mentioned that he has always had a love for wildlife, but “now that [he’s] had this experience, [he] knows this is where [he] belongs.”
It is evident that the Alma Venture Program provides students with the opportunity to explore career paths and passions. This program is just a small part of how Alma College aids students in the process of living up to the college’s mission to “prepare graduates who think critically, serve generously, and live responsibly as stewards of the world they bequeath to the future.”
