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The quality of an Albion College education is being recognized again by The Princeton Review as among the nation’s best, evidenced by Albion’s inclusion in The Best 384 Colleges, the 2019 edition of the test-prep company’s popular guide. According to the book, students described the Albion academic experience as “rigorous but rewarding” with “huge opportunities.”

Astronaut Josh Cassada, an Albion College Class of 1995 alumnus, will fly the first mission of a Boeing-manufactured commercial spacecraft to the International Space Station, NASA announced today. It will be Cassada’s first spaceflight after his selection by NASA as part of its 2013 astronaut class. The Navy commander and test pilot has accumulated more than 3,500 flight hours in more than 40 aircraft.

The lifetime value of a liberal arts education and Albion’s well-established identity as an exemplary liberal arts college continue to resonate strongly, indicated in part by final fundraising totals for the 2018 fiscal year, which concluded June 30. “Every day I hear stories from alumni about the remarkable change that attending Albion brought to their lives, and many want to pay that forward,” said Bob Anderson, vice president for alumni relations and development. “Albion is clearly on the move up and our alumni and friends are making that possible.”

To paraphrase an old saying, Annika Markovich’s summer is water to drink—but that’s about it. “We get only one freshwater shower a week and there are no laundry machines, so everything is washed with salt water from the ocean,” the senior biology major says. “It was a large adjustment, but I got used to it. It is just a very different lifestyle than the one we live in the States.”

“As a Michigan native and Albion graduate, I am very excited to bring our talented educators and their wildlife-centered curricula to benefit teachers from all over the state,” says Stuart, president of the Foundation for San Diego Zoo Global, which is presenting a conservation-science workshop for 32 sixth- through 12th-grade Michigan teachers July 30 to Aug. 2 at Albion College. Among the participants is Detroit math and science teacher Rolanda Matthews, ’92.

The four-year wait for new music from Jane, ’14, and Brian Spencer, ’13, is over. The married couple, now based in Los Angeles, have also seen their journey go from indie/folk to electronic soul/pop. Three new songs in 2018 will be followed up with F I N K E L’s first full-length album in 2019.

“For most people, agriculture can mean planting crops and taking care of animals,” writes Mary Baker, a junior political science and Spanish major with a concentration in public policy. “For me this summer, it meant learning how politics and the industry come together, and communicating through social media.” Baker is also a member of Albion College’s Ford Institute and Honors Program, as well as a member of the equestrian dressage team.

Class of 2018 members Phoebe Dodge, Garrett Mason and Megan Reilly are the first Albion College graduates to earn admission to the Central Michigan University College of Medicine as part of the new cooperative agreement between the two institutions. “It’s a big win for Central and it’s a big win for Albion,” says Brad Rabquer, associate professor of biology and the director of Albion’s Institute for Healthcare Professions.

Albion College is among a select group of institutions featured in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2019. The publication, now in its 35th edition and considered one of the best independent college guides available, mentions that Albion “attracts an ambitious, involved group of students” while touting the College’s “top-notch academic and career counseling.”

2017 Albion grad Jamal Yearwood, who majored in Spanish and minored in management as a member of the Institute for Healthcare Professions, was second author on a health policy article published in The Lancet—one of the very top academic journals in general medicine.