Tycho Bergquist ’05 of Newton Center, Mass., knew he wanted to attend a liberal arts college with strong theater and music programs – two of his passions. That's why it came as something of a surprise when he chose to major in religious studies. Tycho was taken with the subject after enrolling in courses in Rastafarianism, Buddhism and Islam, among others.

“I really never felt I’d do anything with religious studies in my life, but the classes were so intriguing and they’re really a way of understanding the world,” he says. “If anything, religious studies has given me a perspective that will help me on the path I choose. I think that’s the purpose of an undergraduate education. Oxy did its job for me.”

Tycho now lives in Hollywood and works as a project coordinator for Bang Hard Music, a musical library that licenses compositions that are used in everything from commericials to video games. He ultimately plans to work as a professional musician, actor and behind-the-scenes  music industry executive.

Visiting Occidental the summer after his junior year in high school, Tycho encountered a new frosh in the music department. “He said, ‘I’ve been here two weeks and they’ve been the best two weeks of my life,’” recalls Tycho, who knew he wanted to pursue his higher education in California.

The chance meeting cinched his decision to enroll at the College over 11 other institutions. “The first thing that drew me to Occidental were the people – they were very energetic and happy,” he says. He quickly keyed onto the College’s other merits: “The professors have all been just amazing. Every person’s needs are different and they’re all very willing to coordinate times to meet and discuss how you feel about a class and what you want to get out of it.”