When he had to decide where to go to college, Rylee Trendell ā19 from Coos Bay, Ore., faced that question that so many new students have confronted: Where can I combine my love for basketball with my love of amphibians?
OK, well, maybe itās not a universal concern, but it was for Trendell, who has always loved the outdoors and the sciences and is a pretty fair basketball player as well. On the verge of graduation, Trendell says Pacific has given him what he wanted and needed. He had time on the court and time in the lab.
āBecause itās such a small campus, youāre able to form meaningful relationships with your professors,ā said Trendell, a biology major and the son of a middle school science teacher. āThe research that Iāve been doing right here has been an amazing experience that I probably wouldnāt have gotten at a larger university.ā
At Pacific, the 6-foot-3 Trendell made the basketball team. He also made the deanās list, which requires a minimum of a 3.70 grade point average. Most important, he advanced his knowledge of the natural world and made personal connections with professors and other students.
Since graduation, Trendell has gone on to a career passing on his love of science to others: He's a middle school science teacher back in his hometown.