Bridgewater, Va.- Upon visiting Bridgewater College, senior Tori Callahan noticed the close knit community and saw many opportunities to get engaged with the student body. Initially unsure of what major to pursue, conversations with sociology professors Harriet Hayes and Skip Burzumato helped Callahan make the decision to pursue the sociology major.

Callahan also majors in communication studies, minors in theatre and cultural studies and has a concentration in gender studies.

As a freshman coming from Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, Callahan was four-and-a-half hours from her hometown. Because she has such a close relationship with her parents, the senior explained she was “extremely homesick” when she started college.

“Once I began making more friends and getting into the routine of college, I became less homesick,” said Callahan. “Now, I can’t remember the last time I was homesick!”

Getting into her coursework, Callahan was nervous about the workload and rigor of her undergrad classes. “I was a good student in high school, but I was not sure if I was ready for college level expectations,” she said.

Fortunately, she found encouragement in several of her professors during the first semester. Callahan cited biology professor Timothy Kreps and two former instructors, Jessica Perez and Denver Davis, as sources of inspiration.

With multiple accomplishments under her belt, the student claimed college has helped her grow and become much more confident in her abilities.

In finishing her honors project, “Everyman,” Callahan directed, stage managed and acted in the production. She also wrote a research paper analyzing her experience producing ‘Everyman’ and the sociological implications within the play.

Also in theatre, Callahan was selected to compete at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival for Stage Managing as a sophomore. Callahan received the same honor for Dramaturgy as a junior. Her piece “Can You Hear That Sound” was selected for the Center for Engaged Learning and Pinion Players monologue festival.

On another front, Callahan took the opportunity to present at the Virginia Association of College and University Housing Officials Conference in the Fall semester.

On campus, she has taken on the roles of senior resident advisor, senior class president, honor council chair, vice president of Alpha Chi, student representative for Philomathes and multiple on-campus jobs. 

In her free time, the graduating senior enjoys spending time outdoors. In fact, Callahan spends the majority of her summer outdoors working for Camp Mount Luther in Pennsylvania. Many of her hobbies are related to hiking, hammocking, fishing, kayaking and camping.

Callahan may also be found volunteering at local organizations, trying new restaurants with her friends, or spending time with her fiancé.

After graduation, she will pursue a Master of Divinity at Princeton Theological Seminary in New Jersey; she has received a full merit-based scholarship.

“I am thankful to everyone who has made an impact on me at Bridgewater College,” said Callahan.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated Callahan would be attending Princeton University versus Princeton Theological Seminary; Denver Davis was misidentified as Hillary Davis.