For more than 170 years, Wittenberg has insisted on providing an active, engaged educational environment where a student’s capacity to think, read, and communicate with precision, understanding, and imagination stands at the core—making it a perfect fit for such International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma students as Cameron Mackintosh, class of 2015 from Lusaka, Zambia.

Within Wittenberg’s supportive environment, one characterized by hands-on learning opportunities both in and out of the classroom, IB students thrive—no matter what their interests.

“The IB emphasizes an appreciation for global citizenship, an appreciation for diversity and culture,” Mackintosh, an international student from the American International School of Lusaka, said. “Here at Wittenberg, there’s a love of diversity in many different forms. People appreciate that everyone has different goals and aspirations about what they want to study, their passions and what they’re interested in pursuing in their careers and personal lives.”

Through the IB program, Mackintosh earned enough college credit to comfortably pursue a double major in English and psychology while also actively pursuing his personal and professional goals.

“I am a competitive swimmer. I have been most of my life. I’ve been on the swim team all four years here,” Mackintosh said. “I’m also a very avid writer, and I want to pursue a career in writing after I leave Wittenberg.”

In addition to tackling a double major and competing as an athlete, among other co-curricular activities, Mackintosh fostered his passion for journalism, working as an advisor in the Writing Center; reporting for the school’s newspaper, The Torch; and developing his skills in videography, social media, web design, and coding as an intern with the university’s Integrated Media Corps.

“I always liked the idea of journalism, but until I came to Wittenberg, I’d never really taken any tangible steps to achieving that goal. I’d never written a news story, I’d never compiled a video or made a news video. Since being here, I’ve had time to practice those skills, refine them and develop skills that I can use to pursue that career.”

Like many IB students, Mackintosh hoped to find a school that would allow him to continue to explore all of his interests.

“I was looking for a campus with a vibrant social atmosphere, a campus where there were lots of different opportunities for getting involved,” he explained. “I think that’s what a lot of international students look for: to not only go to college for their studies, but to have fun as well.”

Originally interested in large universities, Mackintosh took the advice of his high school history teacher—an Ohio native—and looked into other options. When he heard about Wittenberg, he began to learn more about the benefits of being in a smaller college environment.

“I read about how welcoming Wittenberg is as a community, how friendly everyone is—which, when you’re moving halfway across the world, it’s important that you find somewhere where you’re going to feel welcome.”