by Niki Acton '16

When Jonathan Ng was applying to college, he knew that he wanted to pursue a degree in engineering. Ng lived in Hong Kong, China, and was looking at schools across the United States. Even against schools with renowned engineering programs, Knox College stood out.

When Ng found out about the 3-2 dual degree program Knox College offers in partnership with Washington University in St. Louis, he made his decision. Though Ng could have pursued an undergraduate program focused exclusively on engineering, he wanted a broader education.

"When I applied to college, I got admitted into engineering programs, including Purdue University and Texas A&M," said Ng. "But I knew I wanted to focus on something more than just a technical major, and the 3-2 program offered something right along those lines."

In his three years at Knox, Ng completed an economics major and minors in mathematics and physics. In his next two years at Washington University in St. Louis, he will complete an engineering degree as well.

"I knew that spending five years getting two degrees would open up a lot of opportunities for me," said Ng. "I chose Knox because a small school would mean getting more attention, especially from the professors."

The idea that a small school was right for him was enforced when he visited as a prospective student. He felt accepted right away, both by professors and other students.

"Knox was the only small college I ever visited," said Ng. "It felt like it was very open to international kids, and once I got on campus for orientation, it was accepting of everyone."

At Knox, Ng has taken full advantage of the opportunities of a liberal arts education. A talented tennis player, Ng was team co-captain and most valuable player of the 2014 season.

"Knox was very cooperative with my academic schedule," said Ng. "Playing at a Division III school was very good, because the school recognizes that academics hold priority over athletics, which I appreciated."

Ng, who graduated from Knox this year as a junior, will begin classes at Washington University in St. Louis in the fall.

"The Knox curriculum has introduced me to the kind of rigor I'm expecting at WUSTL," said Ng. "As I finished signing up for classes next term, I knew that the time management that the Knox course load taught me would be of vital importance to me for the next two years."