FINALIST - 2006

Jenna Bratz The servant-leader is a concept that I believe in and have tried to put into action during my four years at Lafayette. I also believe the servant-leader concept is the essence of the “Lafayette ideal,” and is evident everywhere you look around the campus community. I have been blessed to have so many wonderful professors who are far more than teachers. They have helped me grow in ways I could not imagine just four short years ago. They are true leaders in their fields, but also exhibit true servant qualities by being committed to the success of their students. I have also been blessed by the friendships I have made through field hockey, activities and sorority membership at Lafayette. In their own special ways these friends also embrace the servant-leader concept—the Lafayette ideal--by serving their fellow students and the community. During my four years at Lafayette, I have been involved in many leadership roles where I have been able to meaningfully serve others. As a Peer Mentor, I have been able to help freshman student-athletes transition to college life. As a Lafayette Peer Tutor and member of the Calculus Cavalry, I have helped students through challenging math courses. As tri-captain of the field hockey team, I was able to show younger players the discipline and commitment it takes to become a contributing team member. As an EXCEL scholar, I was able to help lead a group of three other REU students from around the country in math research and present our findings at a national mathematics conference in San Antonio. All of these activities, and many others, have helped galvanize the servant-leader quality in me. As I look forward to life after Lafayette, I will continue to pursue servant-leader roles as they present themselves, and carry this “Lafayette ideal” into my career.

 

Major: Mathematics
Thesis: Currently working with Professor Thomas Hill and writing an applied math thesis, where I am working with a system of differential equations that model how a disease in Africa spreads through the population. The system includes a delay variable that represents the time when newborns are maturing and do not transmit the disease; currently working with the system to determine the stability of the equilibrium values.

Academic Activities/Awards

• Phi Beta Kappa (2005)
• Pi Mu Epsilon National Honorary Mathematics Society, 2004 (Officer Junior year)
• EXCEL Scholar (2005) – Worked with Professor Liz McMahon, and three other REU students from Brown University, Smith College and Mesa State University, studying the relationship between group theory and graph theory by analyzing Cayley Graph automorphisms and their structures.
• Joint Mathematics Meeting in San Antonio, Texas (January 2006) – Presented EXCEL research at this Math Conference.
• Lafayette College Maroon Club Female Scholar-Athlete Award 2005
• Sigma Xi (2006) (National Honor Society recognizing achievement in scientific research)
• Dean’s List every semester
• Patriot League Field Hockey Academic Honor Roll (2002-2005)
• National Field Hockey Coaches Association Academic Achievement Award
• Lafayette Leadership Forum (chosen by faculty to attend)
• Academic Integrity Subcommittee

Campus Service Activities

• Lafayette Peer Mentor (2003-2006) – Work with first-year student-athletes to help them in their transition to college life. I also facilitate group study skill workshops, work individually with students throughout the semester, and train new Peer Mentors.
• Lafayette Peer Tutor (2004-2006) – Tutor Lafayette students in Mathematics.
• Calculus Cavalry (2004-2006) – Work one evening per week helping Lafayette students in Calculus.

Community Service Activities

• Private Tutor (2004-2006) – Tutor high school and middle school students in the Easton area.
• Easton Middle School (2005) – Volunteered two days a week in Easton Middle School to help tutor students.

Athletics

• Varsity Field Hockey (2002-2005)
  • Team Tri-Captain in 2005
  • Team MVP in 2004
  • 2nd Team All-Patriot League in 2004 and 2005
  • Named Team’s Most Improved Player in 2003

Special Interest Group Activities

• Fellowship of Christian Athletes 2003-06, initiated local chapter
• Lafayette Christian Fellowship, 2002-06
• Alpha Phi sorority, 2003-06, Assistant to Vice President of Finance
• Concert Band, 2002-03