Scholar of the Week: November 9

Courtesy Photo: Alice Baker-Reinholtz

Reggie Thompson
The Paw Print

Like, most non-traditional students at Adams State College, senior Alice Baker-Reinholtz is intensely dedicated to her studies.
An English major with emphasis in Secondary Education and Liberal Arts, this exceptional individual realized her interest in the english works when she took Major Themes in Literature with Dr. Baker, despite initially not wanting to deal with the work load.  Ironically, it was the satisfaction of writing the term paper combined with the amount of information she learned that convinced her to become an English major.  
Reinholtz is currently taking American Literature I, the 20th Century American Novel, Methods for Teaching Secondary English, and Intro to Geology and plans to walk this upcoming May.
Nominated for her “perceptive” reading abilities and talented writing skills,  Reinholtz takes a vested interest in all of her classes, even ones that she may not have taken if they weren’t required.  Since she has such an interest in doing well in these classes because of how much knowledge she gains from the courses and the real-world applications that she is able to make with the knowledge gained from the courses.  However, her distinctive dedication to her courses does not end in the classroom.  Alice utilizes her time in the classroom to maximize her studying outside of the classroom by participating in class discussions and taking notes.
“This reinforces and gives context to the reading,” explains this scholar.
This demonstrates her commitment to academic success since it demonstrates her understanding that academic success comes from multiples sources; studying, note taking, participating in discussions and outside studying have all been consequences of her serious attitude toward academics.
As a dedicated student, she desires to capitalize on the time, hard work, and money she has committed to her education by teaching at the secondary level.  She feels that her experience as a mother and interaction with the school system as a mother have prepared her for teaching.  She feels that this is an important perspective that will give her the edge in the job market.    Yet another distinguishing characteristic that Alice displays is her volunteer work, both inside her major and outside of it.
As an English major, she utilizes the knowledge she gained and volunteers in the writing studio in order to help those who have a harder time writing.  Additionally, she is currently assisting in the  production of Sweeney Todd at her son’s high school.  Both of these examples of volunteering show her commitment to her community, which is extraordinary to say the least.
When asked about this strong student, her nominator and teacher, Dr. David Mazel, of the English department, touched on her argumentative skills.
“She understands the difference between opinions… and arguments, which require quite a bit more work to put together…”
Alice Baker-Reinhcoltz is a dedicated student and an involved community member.  She refuses to under-achieve but prefers to excel and help her peers, displaying astounding character traits, and ambition.