Jordan Diacos was born and raised in cold Winnipeg, Manitoba, a far cry from the bustling city of Appleton, where he’s now studying psychology and history at Lawrence University. “As someone who didn’t have much of a high school experience due to all the COVID-19 years, the main thing I looked for in a school was a smaller environment,” says the Canadian. “I think Lawrence and Appleton were really the perfect place for that.”
Diacos sought a programme and a university that were “community-focused.” Rather than just another face on campus, he wanted to be part of something. In this aspect, LU is exemplary. This welcoming community of scholars and artists has one of the smallest student-faculty ratios in the country: 8:1.
Diacos has only had “pleasant and helpful experiences” with every faculty member in every department he’s taken classes in. Science isn’t his strongest suit, so he’s grateful for the patience and genuine interest his psychology and statistics lecturers give. “As for my experiences in the humanities, I would go to advisor meetings and office hours just for fun,” he says. “All of the humanities professors have made my academic career not only easy but seriously enjoyable.”
The people of LU are as vibrant and engaging as they are welcoming and supportive. This bodes well for social sciences students pursuing Anthropology and Economics programmes. At LU’s College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, they find challenging and illuminating educational experiences in and out of the classroom — all led by award-winning faculty.
As for Diacos, his reason for joining the Psychology programme is a little unconventional: fencing. “I’ve grown up seeing different therapists, sport psychs, and performance coaches for fencing and I cannot thank any of them enough for the assistance they’ve provided me as a human and as an athlete,” he says. “It is my dream to do the same for others. I love human connection, and I love sport; I’d love to be able to make a life out of both of them.”

Lawrence University is ranked among the top 50 private colleges in the country in The Princeton Review. Source: Lawrence University
A Place to pursue your passions
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University is one of the first co-educational colleges in the US and has grown in excellence and integrity ever since. Today, it continues its mission to help students seek the light of knowledge and understanding through a well-rounded liberal arts education.
Students come from far and wide, comprising nearly every US state and over 40 countries. In this diverse environment, rich perspectives and different insights are common — enriching classrooms and allowing students to explore their subjects from many angles.
Anthropology students unravel the intricacies of human societies, cultures, and behaviours through their environment. The programme offers experiential learning onsite and off, allowing students to conduct real-life geophysical surveys of regional historical sites alongside their peers. Graduates go on to careers in medical anthropology, forensic anthropology and other related fields.
Economics allows students to understand how the world works, as seen in how humans make choices about their resources. Here, students get training in developing models that explain the world around them, using data and statistical analysis to test which ideas are right or wrong. It’s a well-managed programme that pairs well with the university’s new Business and Entrepreneurship, offered as a double major.
In Psychology, students comprehend the inner workings of the brain-behaviour connection. It’s a suitable programme for those planning a career in counselling, social work, therapy and similar. So far, Diacos’s two favourite experiences are writing a series of letters from the perspective of the leader of an early Latin American nation and the impromptu tasks at the start of every creative writing class based on an assortment of prompts that were sometimes obviously connected and other times completely random.
Diacos hasn’t conducted research yet but he feels confident to do so when the opportunity arises. “I feel that I have all the resources and support systems to be able to do so,” he says. “I feel that the classes I am taking and the connections I have made have prepared me to be able to begin conducting research.”

LU students are well-equipped to explore professional opportunities in various career fields. Source: Lawrence University
A future-proof learning experience
LU students work directly with faculty members on research projects ranging from summer-long endeavours to year-round explorations. Some track animals in a tropical country. Others discover and translate an ancient trove of manuscripts — all with the help of generous grant opportunities.
The university supports students in pursuing their academic ambitions without financial constraints. Students can shape their research, explore their passions and gain invaluable experience from experts, rather than working with “filtered down” alternatives in other institutions. The result? 99% of graduates move on to successful employment, grad school, fellowships and more. They take their next steps, competent and confident of their futures.
These sentiments are even shared by those still on their academic journey. Diacos is still a sophomore (an American term denoting a person in the second year of universsity), but he is confident that LU is equipping him well for success. The university graciously signs off whatever internships, fellowships, or employment opportunities he’s found for himself, counting his experience towards an internship credit.
“My plan is to immerse myself in fencing after graduation,” says Diacos, who plans to make the 2028 Olympic Games. “LU has allowed me, both by being an NCAA athlete and by helping me find programmes to work for in fencing, to feel that I can pursue that dream and complete it. I don’t know what I plan to do during that time besides fencing, but I feel comfortable asking for help and ideas, and I will be provided resources and contacts that will help.”
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