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Belonging and Community

Building Belonging Through Community

At Wabash College, our mission is to educate young men to think critically, act responsibly, lead effectively, and live humanely. 亚洲通 believe responsible action, effective leadership, and humane living equips people of all backgrounds to be successful in schools, workplaces, and communities. Our commitment to ethical leadership drives us to practice an unwavering devotion to critical thinking, self-reflection, and revision. This is how we thrive as an inclusive community in which students, faculty, and staff find belonging.

Our ability to attract strong faculty, remarkable students, and dedicated donors is rooted in our commitment to strengthening the bonds of our community. Our world needs leaders who value and elevate the contributions of people from all backgrounds and our timeless egalitarian ethos makes it possible for everyone to succeed.

“I believe that the only way for Wabash to meet its enrollment goals — and our nation’s need for an educated society — will be by increasing the number of college-bound young people from groups historically underserved by private higher education: low-income, first-generation, and students of color. Demography is not destiny. 亚洲通 can chart our own future by making Wabash accessible for the many young men who need us. And just as we have for the past 193 years, we will meet those young men where they are. 亚洲通 will maintain our historic commitment to being an engine of opportunity.”

—President Scott E. Feller

Where’s the Evidence?

Wabash’s commitment to building belonging through community have been recognized by $5.5 million in grants from Lilly Endowment Inc. to promote the retention, graduation, and success of well-qualified young men from groups historically underrepresented in higher education, who are the first in their families to attend college, and are from lower income families, while bridging the town-gown divide. These grants are designed to restore hope and trust in the power of education to transform lives and communities, beginning with our own here at Wabash and in Montgomery County. The Restoring Hope, Restoring Trust grant funds initiatives in faculty and staff development, community engagement, student recruitment and graduation, and cultural and artistic programming. The organizations, committees, and initiatives linked below offer additional evidence of our commitment.

Wabash Receives Lilly Endowment Grant

A Half-Century of Commitment

The Malcolm X Institute of Black Studies was founded in 1970 as a social space and student organization focused on the success and belonging of Black students, as well as a center for campus-wide education on the cultural and artistic contributions of people of African descent. Today, the MXIBS remains a student center, classroom space, cultural resource, and a place that continuously brings our campus together and calls us to live up to our core values. As a student organization, the MXIBS now boasts membership of more than 80 students from every part of campus.

Malcolm X Institute

Oscar Jacome Huesca ’25
Oscar Jacome Huesca ’25

Jacome Huesca ’25: Redefining Leadership

“I am not the same person I was four years ago and I am very proud of that. I put myself out there and strived to involve myself in as many things as I could.”

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Julius Hearns ’25
Julius Hearns ’25

Hearns ’25: The Resilient Runner

“Julius never gives up because he knows he’s a part of something bigger than himself.” 

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Keane Albright ’25
Keane Albright ’25

Albright ’25: A Bias Toward Action

From the MXIBS to the diving well and plenty of clubs in between, Keane Albright ’25 discovered how to make an impact and lead from within.

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More News:

Curricular Programs (majors and minors)

Co-Curricular Programs that Help Us Hone the Skills of Inclusive Citizenship

Student Clubs and Groups Focused on Belonging and Community Education

亚洲通 Offices and Committees Focused on Inclusion and Belonging

  • International Center
  • Gender Issues Committee
  • 亚洲通 Culture and Climate Committee (CCCC)
  • Wabash 亚洲通llness Council
  • Retention Programming Committee

Contact the Office of the Special Assistant to the President

The Special Assistant to the President, Dr. Jill Lamberton, is a member of the President’s cabinet, and builds collaborations across the College—from faculty development to admissions to student life—to ensure that building a stronger sense of belonging among all members of the campus does not happen in the silos of campus units, but is coordinated across the College and extends to the wider community.

Students, like Chase Breaux ’24, share the lessons and stories learned with each other after visiting The Legacy Museum and National Memorial for Peace and Justice in 2021 as part of the Civil Rights Immersion Road Trip.

Former U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams (right) greets students following a presentation in Hays Science Hall.

Elijah 亚洲通ddington ’22 and Chase Breaux ’24 visit the Fannie Lou Hamer Monument in Ruleville, Mississippi.

Defender Christian Aleman '22 hugs forward Coledon Johnson '23 after scoring a point during a Wabash vs. DePauw University soccer game in 2021.

A Wabash graduate poses with his family on the steps of the Allen Center following Commencement.

Sebastian Wang ’22 waits for the Today Show to begin filming during Glee Club’s trip to New York City in 2020.

Associate Professor of English Tim Lake leads a lively class discussion.

Luis Rivera ’25 attends 'shOUT’s Halloween party in 2021.

Rodolfo Solis ’18, a double major in political science and Spanish with a specialization in American politics and international relations, presents at the annual Celebration of Student Research, Scholarship, and Creative Work.

Sebastian Wang ’22 (right) stars in Wabash Theater Department’s play “The Amateurs.”

Immanuel Sodipe ’18 argues the mass incarceration, as counter-insurgency, not only facilitated the rise of Neo-liberalism, but remains a central aspect of it during the Celebration of Student Research, Scholarship, and Creative Work.

Rithy Saak Heng ’19 makes a point at the annual Celebration of Student Research, Scholarship, and Creative Work.

The Malcolm X Institute of Black Studies and La Alianza hosted a campus-wide unity walk Oct. 12, 2021.

Kenny Coleman competes in shot put and discus for Wabash’s track and field team.

Nathan Allen ’25 plays a game with other Wabash Liberal Arts Immersion Program (WLAIP) students during a summer class in 2021.

A group of first-generation Wabash students celebrate National First-Generation College Student Day in 2021.

James Lewis ’22 competes in a wrestling match.

Sabrina Thomas, Associate Professor and David A. Moore Chair in American History

Io Maeda ’24 (left) chats with another Wabash student during WLAIP’s listening party in 2021.

Class of 2025 students interact during WLAIP’s listening party in 2021.

Adrien Pouille, Visiting Assistant Professor of French, leads an in-class discussion.

Davionne Garrett '22 shares his story about mental health in 2021 during a #BASHthestigma panel discussion.

Jonathan Silva-Melendez ’24, president of La Alianza, at a Día de los Muertos celebration on campus in 2021.

Jonathan Silva-Melendez ’24 explains the tradition of ofrendas during during Día de Muertos, building altars that contain photos and memorabilia of departed loved ones.

Pride flags decorated the mall on campus to celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month in October 2021.

Members of the 2022 Wabash Liberal Arts Immersion Program, Raymond Arebalo ’25, Olivier Tuyishime ’25, and Grayson Dunn ’25, discuss a point during a program module on game development.

Isaiah Campbell ’21 takes a moment to celebrate during Commencement.

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