Student Profile: Jacob Hammer
At Alma College, Allegan junior Jacob Hammer easily finds ways to combine his interests in literature and the outdoors—like taking President Jeff Abernathy’s Spring Term environmental literature course.
“We traveled to the Upper Peninsula, where we kayaked out to an island, explored, then camped out overnight,” he says. “We also read lots of books that dealt with issues and concerns in the environment. It was really cool. Since then, I’ve been working on starting up a Kayaking Club on campus.”
Hammer is a double major in English and history who plans to attend graduate school after Alma. In the meantime, he digs into discovering the connections between his two majors, he says.
“I simply find both subjects very enjoyable,” he says. “There are a lot of neat little subtleties to be found in literature and connections to be made through history. I especially enjoy modern literature and seeing how history creates literature.”
When he isn’t reading for class or for fun, Hammer is very involved on campus as a resident assistant and member of Active Minds, Phi Mu Alpha, Sigma Tau Delta and the Honors Program. He says the combination of academics and activities will definitely benefit him in the future.
“I’ve had a really great experience here so far,” he says. “Alma has been a safe place for me to grow and explore new options. Since the professors know you so well, they’re really willing to help you out and get you wherever you want to go.”
