Jamie Eisner has been in the Religion department since day one of her freshman year. Beyond the home she found in Wingate, she found a home at Wake Forest.

“I love Wake Forest,” she said. “It has everything I wanted in a school.”

Since her first semester at Wake Forest, she has been taking religion courses. Her first course was Intro to Jewish Traditions, something she took because she thought it would be easy to do as a practicing Jew. 

“After I took my second class, I was convinced,” Eisner said on deciding to become a Religion major. “Being a Religion major is the best decision I have made since coming to Wake Forest.”

Not only did she find her place within the Religion Department, it challenged her to think in a new way.

“It made me smarter since the major teaches you how to think critically and gives you a new perspective about people and different cultures and religions,” Eisner said. “It just broadens your mind.”

Eisner’s favorite class was either Religion and Popular Culture with Dr. Lynn Neal or Feminist Interpretation to the New Testament with Dr. Mary Foskett.

In terms of the community built in the Religion Department, Eisner said that it is small yet strong.

“We definitely have a community,” Eisner said. “I am in the lounge all of the time — four times a week and I even have access so I can access it after the building closes.”

Due to the lounge access for the majors, Eisner has had the opportunity to get to know other students within the department.

“I feel very welcome in the department and even though I haven’t taken all the professors, everyone knows who everyone is and everyone is warm and inviting,” she said. “Wingate is very homey to me. The Religion department is the best department. Everyone is so sweet.”

Beyond her major, Eisner spoke about how hard it is to recollect a favorite memory.

However, joining her sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma, was definitely a highlight during her Wake Forest career.

“It was a big moment for me and most of my best friends are in my sorority,” Eisner said.

She will also miss the memories she has made throughout her four years at Wake Forest.

“There are so many different great memories,” she said. “I will miss being so close to my friends. It’s going to be weird. It’s going to be weird to have free time. And I will miss the college atmosphere.”

Eisner also commented on how much she loves Winston-Salem and how she will miss downtown. However, she did mention that she is not going to miss Wake Forest’s food.

Eisner also offered advice to those current and future Wake Forest students.

“Take advantage of Wake Forest’s benefits, get close to your brilliant professors and learn from them,” she said. “But also, enjoy yourself and find the balance between academic and social life.”

Eisner ended her Wake Forest career in the top eight percent of her class and was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Society.

Her postgraduate plans include going abroad for a year to teach English.