Student Story

Catawba has an inclusive and personalized environment that encourages its students to pursue greatness and provides them the resources to achieve their goals.

Farres Amrhar is a sophomore at Catawba. He is an Information Systems and Technology major and a Humanities minor. He is also a member of the Catawba Outdoor Adventure Club.

Farres’ story at Catawba is one of overcoming obstacles through Catawba’s opportunities for friendship, specifically through Catawba’s Freshman Retreat.

One of the main challenges Farres faced when he first came to Catawba was making friends. “I was scared when I came to Catawba because coming here was a fresh start for me and I didn’t know anybody,” he said.

Catawba provides its students with numerous opportunities to gather, socialize, and meet new people. Through Catawba’s Freshman retreat, Farres was able to meet many new friends. He also learned many valuable lessons that would help him during his first year of college such as putting themselves out there is important, and that college will rely on their ability to be independent. He said, “Not only did I learn these lessons on the retreat, but I also got to put them into action and because of that, I was more prepared for my first semester of college.”

One of Farres’ favorite parts of Freshman Retreat was at the end when all the students took a family photo and were given a letter written by professors. This letter was a thank-you note from the professors with an individualized message from all of them. “In my letter, Dr. Sang wrote for me to never lose my curiosity and to always ask questions. That letter has stuck with me, and I always think back to it when I have a question in class or on an assignment because that letter helped me understand that there is no shame in having questions,” he said.

“Catawba has provided me with many resources to grow as a student and overcome any academic problems. With resources like the writing center, networking events, and clubs, Catawba's Supplemental Instruction sessions, and the professors always encouraging their students to ask questions, students can always find the tools they need to be successful,” he added.