SESP student profile: Randy Tosch

Home town
Park Ridge, Illinois

Majors
Learning and Organizational Change, Service Learning Certificate Program, Undergraduate Leadership Program

Current project
Starting up a program called 3D: A Different Way To See Things — Developmental Disability Day. It is a school-wide carnival out on the lakefill to celebrate the athletic accomplishments of developmentally challenged athletes at Northwestern's Special Olympics. We are hoping to really emphasize education and awareness about disabilities both leading up to and at the carnival because it is often hard at the collegiate level to interact with people who have disabilities. This is a great opportunity that we could offer to our school.

Questions and Answers

Why did you choose Northwestern?

I looked everywhere before choosing this school. I live 45 minutes away and did not expect to end up here. I came here for a visit just to please my parents, and everything felt right. I found a cutting edge major, Learning and Organizational Change, with real interesting classes. The location was ideal, just a little outside Chicago, but far enough to have a personal identity. There is also just a pride in being a part of this school, whether it is alumni or current students.

What inspires you most?

The people I meet here are ambitious, creative, witty, and insightful. One of my good friends has leukemia, and she fights every day to go to class and be involved. Another group of students came together and organized an initiative to make our school more wheel chair accessible. We have the largest student-run philanthropy in the nation — Dance Marathon. These are the kinds of people I am surrounded by here, and I am lucky to have met them.

What is the best thing about being a student at Northwestern?

The concept of being in a place with a bunch of people who want to learn, and have a lot of interesting perspectives to share. Our school is really diverse, and as a result, you learn how to challenge and understand your own values and beliefs at a deeper level.

What is your favorite spot on campus?

Right as you are running towards the lake, there is a little hill you run up. There is a point right before you reach the top of the hill where a horizon breaks into sight between the water and the sky.

Diary

10 a.m. Grab some breakfast, shower, head out to class — Small Group Processes. We watched 12 Angry Men today.
noon Go back to my fraternity to grab a sandwich. Run over to a class at 1.
1 p.m. Awesome class, Introduction to learning disabilities.
2 p.m. Work at the Center for Learning and Organizational Change as a program assistant digitizing videos and sorting through some stuff for them.
5 p.m. Head over to SPAC, the workout facility.
6 p.m. Dinner at the house, take care of some emails, read a little for my class, call home, select my schedule for next quarter.
7 p.m. Meet with the vice president of ASG [Northwestern's student government] to propose idea for the disability awareness carnival we are trying to start.
8 p.m. Hosting our first meeting for 3D, the new program.
9 p.m. Preparty for date party
10 p.m. Date party
3 a.m. Sleep

Randy Tosch

Randy Tosch