Name: Carson Stetter ’26
Hometown: Kirkville, Iowa
Major: Psychology
Involvement on campus: Supplemental Instruction leader and student manager, RA, Institutional Review Board student member, Called Together: The Wartburg College 2030 Strategic Plan working group member, Wartburg Psychology Club president, Phi Eta Sigma president, Psi Chi, Alpha Chi, Wartburg MINDS, Ritterchor
Research: The long-term effects of adverse childhood experiences on stress in emerging adulthood with an interaction of resilience as a mitigating factor (under the supervision of Dr. Shaheen Munir)
Plans after graduation: I will take a gap year before entering a graduate program in psychology with intentions to become a professor in developmental or social psychology. During my gap year, I will continue my research with the hopes of submitting to more conference and possibly publishing a paper.
Why did you choose Wartburg?
Originally, Wartburg was not on my radar when searching for colleges. Though one of my junior high teachers, Ms. (Tiffany) Bagley ’06 kept pushing me to at least go on a tour. She was never short on a story of what Wartburg meant for her, and she wanted me to at least see what it could have to offer. I decided to go on a tour to just check out Wartburg. After that one visit, I knew Wartburg was the place for me. The small community reminded me so much of the relationships I had during my junior high and high school education, it felt familiar. Before even making it home from that visit, I had already made up my mind.
What sparked your interest in your field of study, and how has your perspective on it changed since your first year?
I have always wanted to help people, in whatever way that may be. Throughout my life how I wanted to do this changed, quite often, though after some different life events and challenges, I settled on my advocacy for mental health. I originally wanted to carry that out by becoming a therapist, though through my time at Wartburg I shifted to being more interested in the academia perspective with research and teaching.
Can you describe a specific moment when you knew you made the right decision in choosing Wartburg?
As I had mentioned above, I knew just from the environment and community that surrounds Wartburg it would be a good place for me. Though it wasn’t until my sophomore year that it truly clicked that it was the school for me. My sophomore year I started my first research project here and was able to present at my first RICE Day. While I loved the process along the way, on RICE Day, you see all the support and pride that Wartburg has in the students. Throughout all the poster presentations you see crowds of peers, staff, faculty, and community members cycling through to support Wartburg’s student body.
Is there a faculty or staff member who made a significant impact on your journey? What is the best piece of advice they gave you
There are so many, but I can’t pick between these two. Dr. Shaheen Munir filled many different seats in my Wartburg journey. She was my academic and research advisor as well as one of the host faculty members for PSY101 supplemental instruction. Throughout all of this, I have learned so much from her guidance. One of the greatest lessons I learned from Dr. Munir was to take more pride in my work because it is a reflection of me and everything I have poured into it.
Dr. Abbylynn Helgevold is an ethics professor, and while that doesn’t have a direct tie to my major or minors, I ended up in a lot of her classes. I randomly got put in one of her classes my very first semester here, and after that found myself trying to cram any of her classes in over the next four years. She is another professor who has been able to teach me a lot, though my biggest take aways is to always “say more.” She always pushes us to go deeper and more direct in discussions, trying to make conversation deeper than just surface level and it is something that I will continue to carry.
Which co-curricular activity defined your college experience?
My opportunities to conduct research definitely helped define my college experience. Coming to Wartburg, I was pretty set on becoming a therapist, thinking that this was the only way for me to really make a difference with a psychology degree. Through my time at Wartburg, I realized that research and pursuing a life of academia can be just as, if not more, fulfilling while still being able to help others.
What is the one thing you never imagined you would/could do before coming to Wartburg?
I would have never expected myself to study abroad. During my first May Term at Wartburg, I got the opportunity to study in Heredia, Costa Rica, for three weeks, studying Spanish at a local language school. During this time abroad, I experienced many firsts, from leaving the country for the first time to Spanish cooking/dancing classes to cliff jumping. It was just overall a very eye-opening and life-changing experience. This experience was able to not only teach me much about the language and the culture it encapsulates but was also a time of challenging myself and personal growth.
What advice do you have for prospective or first-year students?
Stay curious. Don’t let yourself become complacent, strive for new experiences and new connections, continue to question the world around you, and seek a life of learning.
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