Harrison Raub, a junior from Louisville, Ohio, is majoring in biology and environmental science. He was drawn to Muskingum for the personalized educational experience he would receive and the possibility of conducting research at The Wilds.
Harrison has been a Resident Assistant (RA) since the second semester of his freshman year. He says, “With [that experience] I've had a great opportunity to meet a lot of different people on staff and have made a lot of great friends through it.” He was also the Events Coordinator for Tri-Beta, the biology honorary, this year. Tri-Beta joined with the Outdoor Initiative, of which Harrison is co-founder and president, to promote trips to Salt Fork State Park and Hocking Hills.
Harrison explains the genesis of The Outdoor Initiative Club: “. I'm really into outdoor activities like hiking, backpacking, kayaking, etc., and I felt like the school needed a club that would encourage students to explore what the outdoors has to offer. Some big trips we've gone on include indoor mountain biking, indoor rock climbing, skiing, Hocking Hills, and we've planned a trip for white water rafting at the beginning of next semester. This past year, our entire exec board has worked very hard to establish ourselves on campus, and we've built a sizable following as a result!”
The summer after his freshman year, Harrison was awarded a Muskie Fellowship to do grassland bird research with one of his professors at The Wilds. He says, “I got hands on field experience, and our research group was been able to present at the Ohio Avian Conference and Ohio Academy of Science conference this year.”
Harrison advises high school seniors to “start looking at colleges as soon as possible. It is a big decision, and it shouldn't be rushed. There needs to be time to really evaluate each school. The ultimate factor is looking at a school and envisioning yourself being happy after spending four years there!”