Academics | North Central College

David DePino

Forensics Team Member

David is a star in forensics. From the start, he competed on North Central’s speech and debate teams and consistently placed among the top competitors at national, state and regional tournaments.

His junior year alone, he was national champion in Informative Speaking at a national comprehensive tournament, claimed second in Persuasive Speaking at one of the year’s most prestigious national tournaments, and made College history at the 143rd Interstate Oratorical Association National Tournament. Placing in the final round, he was the first North Central student to ever do so and only the second one to qualify for this national competition. North Central’s faculty named him the Outstanding Student in Forensics. On the side as part of his service to the forensic community, David helps coach local high school speech teams. His future plans include graduate studies in either communication or history and coaching speech and debate at the college level.

“I want to help students achieve at the same level my North Central coaches inspired in me to achieve,” he says.

Maria Gommel

National Student Scholarship

During her junior year, Maria earned a Goldwater Scholarship—the highest national undergraduate award for achievement in math, science and engineering. The application process began months earlier and required some input from faculty.

“From advising to writing letters of recommendation to extending offers to assist in research projects, the faculty members have given me valuable advice and opportunities that no doubt strengthened my Goldwater application,” Maria says. For instance, the summer after her sophomore year, she conducted mathematical modeling research on epidemiology with Professor of Mathematics Emeritus Linda Gao and two other students.

“I'm planning to attend graduate school,” Maria says, “and I think the Goldwater award will help me stand out from other people applying to Ph.D. programs and for competitive fellowships.”

Kelly Rasmussen

English and Spanish double major

Kelly became involved with the Rall Symposium early in her North Central career. As a freshman she co-presented a poster on yeast research that she conducted with a biology professor.

Her next experience at the Symposium took her out of her comfort zone: She gave an oral presentation. While she was at ease with the content of her presentation, which focused on the literary concept of the contextual dystopia, the pressure of speaking before an audience was overwhelming at first.

“Right before the session started, I was so terrified I wanted to leave the room,” she recalls. On top of that, she had revised her analysis the night before.

Kelly says her nerves quickly subsided as she gave the presentation and notes it was a valuable learning opportunity.

“The whole experience is meant to help us grow as students, researchers and professionals,” she says. “We’re growing, and we’re learning. We don’t need to be perfect.”

Collin Loeffler

Richter Grant

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Michelle Branigan

Honors Program

Brandon Wood

Undergraduate Student Research

Elizabeth Gerhardt

Dispute Resolution

Matt Wilke

LEV

Nicole LeDonne

T.J. Simmons

Forensics Team Member

“I was a confident person before, but being successful in forensics has made my confidence soar,” says T.J.

In addition to being on the forensics team and a forward on the soccer team, T.J. works full time as showroom manager of a marketing company at Chicago’s Merchandise Mart. He routinely speaks with vendors and vice presidents, using skills he’s developed through forensics. “I know what I want to say, how to present and come across.”

On campus, T.J. enjoys the flexibility North Central offers to pursue both forensics and soccer. During soccer season, he participates in fewer forensic tournaments. During off-season, he expands his forensics involvement, traveling and competing in individual events he enjoys, such as rhetorical criticism and informative, persuasive, prose, after-dinner and public address speeches.

“In forensics, it’s not about not making mistakes. It’s your enthusiasm ... tone, volume, pace, emphasis on specific parts of the speech that make it so intriguing and so very challenging to do.”