To help you get to know our staff better, I’ll be featuring our four Her Campus Chatham officers in December and January. We’d love for you to get to know them as they work to help you tell your stories!–Mara Flanagan
The first thing you notice about Gretchen Geibel is her voice. “Ever since I was a little girl, I sang everywhere I went,” she says. You can hear melody even when she speaks; it’s natural, and it’s the first suggestion you have that the woman you’re meeting is someone who is certainly worth listening to.
Geibel was a standout in Chatham Choir and Hemidemisemiquavers from September of her first year; she even performed with Marvin Hamlisch and Robert Page as part of the All-Star College Choir. “In all honesty, I’m not even sure why I love singing,” she says. “I just know that it’s something I have to do.” Even after years in high school and college productions, she conveys distinct humility when she speaks about singing. “It’s such a part of me that I’ve never even questioned it,” she says. “I just need it.”
The News/Lifestyle Section Editor spends her time with Her Campus Chatham helping other women shape their own voices. Since her time editing The 5th Grade Weekly in her Butler County elementary school, Geibel grew to love working with words. “I’m a little weird in that I really love editing things: papers, news articles, anything,” she shares. “I will gladly and enthusiastically stay up until 2 AM any day helping a friend workshop a multi-page essay. I even considered majoring in English Writing with the goal of someday being an editor.”
She didn’t go in that direction, but she’s definitely still focused on helping others through her work. A Biochemistry major, Spanish minor, she’s hoping to lead a life full of powerful research and extraordinary discoveries. “My dream job is to research evolutionary primatology, specifically in regard to gorillas,” she says, adding, “I’m also really interested in studying the comparative neurobiology between species and its evolutionary basis.” Geibel draws most of her inspiration from Jane Goodall, the influential scientist whose work with chimpanzees propelled her into a career of groundbreaking research, philanthropy and animal rights advocacy. “She’s such a strong woman of science, and her knowledge and experiences in global environmentalism and international and interspecies cooperation are so interesting to me,” says Geibel. “Plus, she found a way to take her love of chimpanzees and turn it into a career…and as a lover of gorillas and the other greater apes, she inspires me to pursue my dream of studying Evolutionary Primatology.”
Geibel knows that women are still significantly underrepresented in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) fields; she was even quoted in a national Her Campus article on what it’s like to have a “man’s major.” At Chatham, women who share her passion for the sciences surround Geibel. To high school ladies interested in the sciences, Geibel advises, “to not be afraid to make your voice heard.” She also encourages studying across disciplines. “These days, it takes more to be a scientist than just being knowledgeable in your field. The more STEM fields you can familiarize yourself with, the better integrated you’ll be in the scientific community and the better you’ll be able to collaborate with other scientists.” Taking her own advice, Geibel’s STEM studies are extensive. “I think the biggest surprise for me, though, came after taking Health Disparities last semester,” she says. “I never knew how passionate I was about equal opportunity in health until taking that class, and it’s changed my views on healthcare and made me much more interested in finding out about health policies, the politics behind them, and what I can do to help make a difference.”
Though Geibel is looking for a career in the wild, she’s also branching out into uncharted territory at Chatham. Just this October, she played Magenta in the university’s first production of The Rocky Horror Show. “The music is so different from any musical I’ve ever been in, and Magenta is just a unique, fun character unlike any I’ve ever played,” she says. “I also met so many people and made so many new and great friends through the experience.” Whether Geibel is in the lab or in the spotlight, she’s found a school that lets her shine as a multi-dimensional woman. “I haven’t any doubt that Chatham is the perfect school for me,” she says. “I love how globally and environmentally involved we are, how we really prepare women for the world, and how much freedom and support we have here. Everyone is so accepting of everyone else, the professors all know you as a person and not just as a name, and you can pretty much do whatever it is that you love with the knowledge that the school and your peers will have your back.”