Recent Augustana College graduate, Richard Pipes Jr., shares his successes

2014 Nov 5

A recent Augustana College, Rock Island, Ill., graduate, Richard Pipes Jr. completed his Augustana career well equipped for the real world. Singing in the Augustana Choir and being a member of Collegia Classica and music fraternity Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia for four years, while studying classics and history, gave Pipes a broad range of knowledge.

According to Pipes, in last year's "More Than I Imagined" web feature, one of his peak experiences at Augustana was his trip to Rome. "I had been studying ancient culture and history. It truly blew my mind to finally go to the place that I had studied for a long time. I got to see monuments that I had only seen in pictures and books. It was truly surreal for me."

When asked what he learned about himself over the course of his four years at Augustana, Pipes said, "I have learned that if I work hard enough at something I can eventually understand it. Latin is one of those things where I've made progress, thanks to hard work." This ideology has helped Pipes as he ventured into the working world after graduation.

Pipes currently is working for Nypro, a medical care company that makes medical supplies, while simultaneously applying for jobs in law enforcement. Pipes said, "Augustana has helped me prepare for the job hunt" in ways such as teaching him "how to write a good resume."

Pipes also mentioned he was asked about his Augustana education in an interview, claiming "just the degree from the school has prepared me well for post-college life, even though it is not easy."

Pipes took advantage of his summer right after college and traveled to Athens, enrolling in a course called When Bronze Age Greece meets the Aegean, a College Year in Athens program. Pipes learned about the Athens program while in Greece with an Augustana abroad program.