Add-Venture Program Ideal for Students with Varied Interests

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Photo of Maison Allen

Moravian College’s Add-Venture program is a selective program open to 20 first-year students each year. The program selects students through an application process that determines if the applicants have a clear idea of what they want to do during their college years. Often, students will use this program to pursue multiple majors and minors.

The Add-Venture program offers advantages, such as early registration, and it alleviates course requirements outside one’s major. Many of these students are ambitious and are interested in more than one field, or in being well-rounded.

The Add-Venture program is one of the reasons I was interested in Moravian as a prospective student. I always knew I wanted to be a teacher, but I was interested in teaching in more than one field. The Add-Venture program gave me the opportunity to major in both music education (BMus) and English (BA). Between Moravian’s amazing music department, which had the jazz program I was looking for, and its well-rounded English department, I was sold. Thanks to Moravian’s Add-Venture program, I can teach music and English, or pursue other careers with my English degree.

My story is only one of the many success stories that transpired from Moravian’s Add-Venture program. Kristen Weaver,‘18, is using the program to pursue a BS in Biology as well as a BMus in cello performance. Kristen decided to become a double major because she’s “always loved music and animals and wanted to go into both fields.”

Weaver has had guidance and support from advisors in both the music and biology departments. Dr. Binford, of the music department, helped Kristen figure out the requirements for her music and biology majors . Kristen’s biology advisor, Dr. Irish, helped her plan out her biology major even further by helping her determine which science courses would be most helpful and appropriate for what she wanted to do, both at Moravian and after graduation.

Another member of the Add-Venture program is Skylar Eidem,‘18. Eidem is using the Add-Venture program to double major in English and history with a minor in medieval studies.

The main advantage Eidem said she gained from the Add-Venture program is being able to register for courses early. She said that registering early has been invaluable because she has always been able to get the courses she needs for her majors and minor, as well as the courses she wants to take. I know that I agree with this, because without early registration, there is no way I would have gotten into all of the classes I needed to take for my two majors.

The biggest problem with the Add-Venture program is that it’s not well advertised. I have lost count of how many times students have told me they wished they had known about it. I only knew about the program because I had friends who were already students here.

Weaver says that she learned about the program from her sister, who was an Add-Venture student here. Eidem pointed out that when the program is advertised, it’s advertised well. When people do hear about Add-Venture, they immediately know it’s for students who know exactly what they want to do at Moravian.

When asked if the program should only be open to incoming students, everyone I interviewed said yes, mostly because it’s meant for students who have a game plan for their college years. I agree, because the program’s limitations, such as its taking only 20 first-year students, are what keeps students from taking advantage of it.

The Add-Venture program demonstrates Moravian College’s dedication to students, helping to ensure that they receive a beneficial education suited to their passions.