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Boswell Sees Future Clearer Through LENS

March 17, 2023
By Larry Isch
Posted in About
Ciara Boswell

It wasn’t until Ciara Boswell began going through the University of the Ozarks’ LENS curriculum that she began to see her professional future clearer.

The junior from Paris, Ark., said the LENS (Learning Environment for New Synthesis) program at Ozarks helped her decide to earn majors in psychology and philosophy with a minor in marketing.

The University’s LENS program requires students to earn a major or minor in each of three academic areas or “lenses” – the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences and mathematics. The LENS program encourages students to explore, discover, and develop many areas of interest, while expanding their academic opportunities.

“The LENS program broadened my horizons and pushed me into areas that I never had thought about before arriving at Ozarks,” Boswell said. “LENS has given me the opportunity to be a well-rounded candidate for any job I pursue in my future. It has allowed me to acquire knowledge in numerous areas and pushed me out of my comfort zone. It allowed me to find majors and minors that I love which has made my time here at Ozarks that much more special.”

While she entered college knowing that she wanted to study psychology, she quickly found other areas of interest that complemented the discipline.

“I always knew that I wanted to major in psychology since I graduated from Paris, but I was struck with my found love in philosophy during my freshman year,” she said, “I knew that I wanted to pick a curriculum that I could utilize to make a difference and do something that I love and am passionate about. I stumbled into marketing as a sophomore here at Ozarks and immediately fell in love with all things social media. I love that you can use marketing as a way to make a difference in individuals lives and all three of these programs can be used to help others and give back to the communities that gave so much to me. I plan to utilize my education to eventually be in the field of marketing psychology.”

Growing up less than 45 minutes from campus, Boswell said she knew Ozarks was the right fit the first time she stepped foot on campus.

“Coming from a small high school, a close-knit family environment is something that I cherished there so I wanted to make sure I would get that in college as well,” she said. “Ozarks provided this sense of community and family that I so beloved. I knew this would be my new home as soon as I stepped on campus and saw the relationships that others before me had formed here.”

One of her first classes at Ozarks, a freshman seminar class taught by University Chaplain Rev. Jeremy Wilhelmi, remains one of her favorites.

“This class allowed me to make connections that I will cherish for the rest of my life,” Boswell said. “This class helped me make some of my first friends on campus and put the right people in my path. Ever since I was a freshman and met Jeremy, he has been a great mentor and inspiring person to me.”

As a student ambassador, she enjoys conveying that same family environment when she gives campus tours to prospective students and their families.

“To be a student ambassador is a great honor,” Boswell said. “You are essentially the first friend on campus for prospective students. I get to share my experience at Ozarks with other individuals. I get to tell them about all of the amazing things that Ozarks has to offer and how this special place has changed my life while educating them about the history here.”

In addition to being a student ambassador, Boswell leads the group’s social media efforts in recruiting students.

“I love this position because it has allowed me to work with some of the most inspiring people in the marketing department,” she said. “I love the atmosphere and the relationships I’ve built through this department as well as creating social media content for the University.”

Boswell has also found her niche in a number of student organizations and extra-curricular activities. She is president of the Ozarks Philosophical Symposium, vice president of the Psychology Club, president of a volleyball program on campus and also works part-time for the University’s bookstore. As if that wasn’t enough, she also works part-time as a coach for a girls’ youth travel volleyball team.

“I get to educate young women about the sport and share all of the skills I have acquired over my years in this great sport,” she said. “Through my years of coaching club volleyball, it has allowed me to pour into young girls in various communities and schools.”

Thanks to earning several University scholarships, Boswell is on course to become the first in her immediate family to graduate from a four-year college.

“This makes me feel as though I have made my family and community around me proud, knowing that I have faced a great amount of adversity and pushed through to reach my goals,” she said. “Receiving these scholarships have allowed me to pursue my undergraduate degree without worry of finances and that has given me the chance to live up to my fullest potential. It has put me on the path to pursue my long term goals and I am so incredibly grateful.”

With just over a year left in her educational journey, Boswell said she is happy she chose Ozarks.

“I have gained many perspectives on so many things that I am passionate about at this University,” Boswell said. “Ozarks has made me have an overwhelming sense that the sky’s the limit and I can do whatever I put my mind to. Ozarks has given me confidence for my next steps in life because of the engaging curriculum. I absolutely love that I have gotten a quality education and I completely believe this is because of how much the professors here care about the students’ success. They pour into students and give them the best resources for future achievements.”

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