Student Spotlight: Ryan Wasilko ’23

Ryan Wasilko ’23
English major
Kittanning, Pennsylvania

When Ryan Wasilko ’23 visited Westminster College, he found a campus that was warm, inviting and full of encouragement. As a student who had begun his transgender journey, Ryan sensed he would be able to find acceptance and support within the small Westminster community. He wasn’t wrong. Ryan has built a network of friends and connections—and what he’s discovered is while the campus is small at Westminster, compassion and acceptance is huge. On campus, Ryan—an English major from Kittanning, Pennsylvania—is a Dean’s List student and a member of the sophomore honor society Lambda Sigma. At home, he wrote for his hometown newspaper and on campus he’s involved with student media by serving as programming manager of the Westminster Cable Network (WCN). He’s an active presence on campus, and as a first-year Orientation leader, Ryan aims to create a welcoming environment for students new to the Westminster community. Making sure first-year students feel welcome isn’t Ryan’s only mission; as vice president of the Black Student Union and a member of the Sexuality and Gender Alliance (SAGA), he wants all students find inclusion and acceptance at Westminster. “Westminster has an environment where you can really grow and thrive because everyone has a place here as a student and an individual.”

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