Perusing college guides while she was in high school, Molly Franz ’05 of Portland, Ore., found these descriptions of Occidental: “friendly,” “multicultural,” “small size.” She then put the words to the test by visiting campus. “I really felt people went out of their way to tell me how much they enjoyed being at the College,” Molly says.

Occidental proved to be an ideal choice from the start. “Oxy provides a cozy home base, while Los Angeles offers ample opportunities to be involved,” says Molly, a group language major who studied Chinese and Spanish. “Whether it’s fighting for social justice or going to hear the spoken word, there’s always something happening in the city.”

While enrolled at Oxy, Molly studied abroad at Nanjing University in China, and since graduation she's traveled to Europe. She's now planning to revisit China, and also travel to Chile and Brazil. While she's unsure of her exact career plans, “I want to have a fulfilled life and help people.”

At Oxy, Molly was active in culture clubs that celebrate global diversity. She also enjoyed the daily intellectual discourse on campus. “I realize the caliber of discussion that occurs at Oxy is not easily matched. It’s very uncommon,” she says. “I’ve developed very strong relationships with many professors and that’s something I believe is unique to Oxy.”

And, Molly adds, “Oxy challenged me, but I was able to challenge Oxy right back. I felt at liberty to question my peers, as well as my professors, to receive a more intellectually stimulating education.”