Martha Coenen ’26
I couldn’t talk about my experience at COA without mentioning buildings and grounds (B&G). When I got assigned to them through work-study I cried. I had been told that it was the worst work-study to have, and all I would be doing was shoveling snow. So, of course, I choose to include a picture of me on one of those shoveling days, but as you can see, there is very little misery in my expression. B&G has turned into my anchor on campus. The crew is like a quirky family to me. There is so much to learn from all of them and they are such incredibly kind, helpful, and funny human beings. I couldn’t be more grateful for all they have done for me at COA.
By Martha Coenen ’26
In a way, COA chose me before I decided on COA. I was adamant about not wanting to study in the US. In the US, education is something that people go into debt for; I did not want to support that system, and I couldn’t imagine living in a place that didn’t have free healthcare. I still feel this way. I have paid more for healthcare since being in the US than I have paid in medical fees for my entire life, and yet here I am feeling more at home than I ever have. COA was, as dramatic as it sounds, a lifeline for me. It helped me out of one of the biggest struggles of my life. I was burned out and struggling with depression after working in healthcare during a global pandemic, and COA was the thing that made me get up again. After two years alone in an apartment in central Berlin—surrounded by people and yet incredibly lonely—I was longing for community, longing for the intercultural exchange that I had experienced at United World College, and longing for a path that had more than one direction.
My fall term classes were the exact mix that I wished for before coming to COA; a science class, a writing course, and a course that cannot be put into a single subject group.
COA is my home now; a place I didn’t look for, but found me.
Amitav Ghosh and Climate Change
My writing course with Palak Taneja, Amitav Ghosh and Climate Change, was an incredibly engaging academic experience. I still often think about passages I read in The Great Derangement by Amitav Ghosh and the discussions we had in that class. I wrote a ten-page paper about the failings of fictional media in regards to the climate change crisis, which was an eye opening research process. As someone who would love to write a book or two in my lifetime, understanding the power of fictional media is something I will hopefully never lose sight of.
Human Ecology Core Course
The Human Ecology Core Course was confusing, sometimes irritating, and other times wonderfully exciting. It made me want to learn more, it made me understand less, but it also allowed me to see there is a lot that goes into the work of understanding. I loved the fact that we had an opportunity to learn with so many different faculty members, even though sometimes the one-week intervals felt too short. I am looking forward to reading the first draft of my “What is Human Ecology” essay in four years and seeing if and how my perspectives have changed, who I’ve become, and how my perceptions of this place have grown.
Introduction to Field Sampling
My Introduction to Field Sampling class was connected to the Human Ecology Achievement Program of the Sciences. We arrived on campus a couple weeks earlier than other incoming students and had the chance to take trips into the field and learn sampling techniques in a way that would have not been possible during the term. As an international student, it was a great experience to be able to participate in. Professor Reuben Hudson and teaching assistant Maddie O’Brien ’22 were an incredible team. I had so much fun learning from them. We had many excursions, but my favourite one was probably the day we spent at Little Long Pond taking core samples of sediment from a canoe platform. Analysing a sample that you have taken yourself and knowing exactly where it is coming from is an incredibly rewarding experience.
