New Knight to Know: Vivian Van Fossen ’28

Hometown: Hatfield, Pa.

Major: Biology

Hobbies: I love hiking, reading, and baking!

What is your proudest accomplishment to date?

My proudest accomplishment to date is getting the opportunity to work in Yellowstone National Park. I was able to find a program that allowed me to live and work right at Old Faithful. It gave me the chance to meet people from all over the world. Hearing their stories and experiences opened up so many possibilities of what I could end up doing for my own career and life. I heard about everything from working on cruise ships to having to go home to do country-required military training. It's intriguing that the same place brought such a wide variety of people to work there. We were all connected to each other by the draw of the park. It's endless beauty that offers chances to hike anywhere and watch unique animals. We could stay up until 2 a.m. watching the stars while sitting next to geysers. Those memories are something I will never forget. They will drive me through hard times and power my path to a career, that will hopefully be in a place just as breathtaking. My time in Yellowstone is my proudest accomplishment so far.

Why did you choose Arcadia?

I chose Arcadia for the campus. The small student population mixed with the lovely lawn in the middle of it all drew my attention. I enjoy that I will be able to connect with professors and other students easier than I would in a massive state school.

What are you most looking forward to?

I look forward to all the new opportunities to make friends and learn. I love that I will finally be on the path to pursuing my future career, and cannot wait until I'm taking those steps.

What do you hope to accomplish at Arcadia?

I'm hoping to accomplish an interesting research project in my later years of college! It excites me to get into the nitty gritty of my major.