Earlier the better for Nashaun Lee '23
Nashaun Lee '23 with Da Zhnaé Sinclair, Residential Life, and Letecia Martinez, Office of Student Inclusion and Diversity (photos taken prior to COVID-19 policies on campus)
Seven, maybe eight visits to campus; encouragement from his high school math teacher/mentor Sara Muhs ’06; and a close relationship with Christian Brown in admissions — that’s what convinced Nashaun Lee ’23 that Augustana was the place for him.
His decision to apply early made the inevitable happen more quickly.
As soon as he was accepted to Augustana in December of his senior year — “the best news a senior could receive,” by the way — Lee began working on what he envisioned for himself at college. Long before he stepped foot on campus the following fall, he had established important relationships with faculty.
“Knowing where I was going to college before New Year’s and having a plan in place was important to me,” Lee said, who attended Perspectives High School of Technology in Chicago. “That’s why I started investing my time without even having started yet.”
Nashaun Lee with Dr. Jessica Schultz and Dr. Wendy Hilton-Morrow from Academic Affairs
So while his high school friends were scrambling during the spring of their senior year, sorting through financial packages and figuring out where to spend their next four years, Lee was already working his plan.
He realized early on the need for men of color to teach STEM subjects and the impact he could make if he followed that path. He is majoring in teaching chemistry, middle grades science. He calls his advisors, Dr. Kurt Christoffel (chemistry) and Dr. Michael Shroeder (education), his “right-hand guys.”
The opportunity to build close relationships on campus was one reason Lee wanted to attend a smaller, liberal arts college. And he has done that.
Lee has been sought out by Dr. Monica M. Smith and Ashley Allen to work on diversity and inclusion efforts and Dr. Kristin Douglas and Dr. Wendy Hilton-Morrow to help with remote learning improvements. He also serves as the academic chair for the Black Student Union and mentors 17 first-year students through the Office of Student Life.
“It would been much harder to get these opportunities at a larger institution,” Lee said. “Here, I was able to start making an impact right away.”
Nashaun Lee (front, far right) at the initial meeting of the Multicultural Men's Association of Augustana