Janne Dale '08, Norway.
Janne and her sister, Linn '07, moved to Minnesota from Gjøvik, Norway, when their father became a pastor at Mindekirken, the Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church in Minneapolis. She graduates in May 2008 with a double major in psychology and Women's Studies.
After attending high shool in Bloomington, Minnesota for 2 years, she came here because "everyone in the Norwegian-American community raved about how great of a school St. Olaf is."
What are you involved in at St. Olaf?
One of the greatest things about St. Olaf is that there are so many wonderful organizations and groups to get involved with. Since freshman year, I've enjoyed being part of FCA (Fellowship of Christian Atheletes) and for the past year and a half, I've gotten to be on the leadership team as well, which has been a great growing experience. This year, I live in an honor house with nine amazing women and fellow students. We're all part of the St. Olaf Cancer Connection, an organization that raises awareness and money to support cancer research, among other things. I've also gotten to act in a number of plays, including a super fun audience interactive play called Too Much Light. There are soooo many other groups I would have loved to be a part of too, but I'm trying to dedicate myself to just a few organizations.
How did you choose your major(s) and what are the classes and professors like?
Since you don't have to have a major declared until junior year, I spent a great deal of time exploring different departments and majors the first two years. St. Olaf encourages students to try classes that push us and make us move outside our comfort zones; in fact, this is how I got interested in women's studies and decided to major in it. Never haven taken a class on this subject before, I took the introduction to women's studies class in order to fulfill a general education requirement. The class was absolutely life changing, and radically changed how I view the world, myself, and my relationships with others. I'm also a psychology major, and I've gotten to take several classes that count toward both psychology and women's studies.
What do you hope to do with your majors?
Last spring, I took part in a training program at the HOPE center in Fairbault, which is a center for victims of sexual and domestic violence. I'm currently doing an internship with them, and I'm finding this to be a great integration of what I've learned from my psychology and women's studies classes, as well as the rest of my St. Olaf education. Next year, I'm hoping to go on a study abroad program through a Norwegian Christian school. As part of the program, you study abroad for seven months, and I'm particularly interested in a placement in Peru, where volunteers work at a center for teenage mothers, many of whom have experienced sexual and domestic violence in their past. I'm not sure what I want to do after that, but working with women in developing countries is definitely something I'm interested in and would like to explore further.
What advice would you give to other international students considering St. Olaf? Why should they choose St. Olaf?
I feel incredibly thankful for my opportunity to study abroad at St. Olaf (Janne participated in the Global Semester program). My four years here have shaped who I am and who I want to be, and I will forever feel indebted to St. Olaf for everything I've learned here. I would STRONGLY recommend St. Olaf as an incredible institution, a friendly place where it's easy to make friends and get involved, and as an environment that fosters and values whole people and informed citizens of the world.
