Westley GarciaAdmissions Counselor
Recruiting territory: California and Illinois
Phone: 712-707-7136
Fax: 712-707-7164
E-mail: westley@nwciowa.edu
Hometown: San Diego, California (Hoover High School)
College: Northwestern College (B.A. in religion)
Co-curricular activities in college: Student Government Association, Student Activities Council, Project Serve, Spring Service Projects, Campus Ministry’s Tuesday worship team, writing tutor, A cappella Choir, Symphonic Band, Hunger/Homeless Ministry, and Creation Care Club
Hobbies: I want to say exotic things like spelunking or whittling, but the truth is I thoroughly enjoy being in the company of friends, engaging in conversation about current events and sometimes even theology. I do these in addition to the every-so-often habit of writing music.
Favorite place to visit: The greater Bay Area of California. You have the grandeur of San Francisco to the east, the somewhat grunginess (in a good way) of Oakland and Berkeley to the west, and the beauty of nature to the north with the wine country of Sonoma and Napa. It’s an amazing place to experience the different cultures of California.
Favorite musicians: Sleeperstar, Rosi Golan, and Hillsong Live
Favorite TV show: Weeds and Lost
Book I’m reading now: God: A Biography, by Jack Miles, and ChurchMorph: How Megatrends Are Reshaping Christian Communities, by Eddie Gibbs
Interesting or little-known fact about me: I am the youngest of seven children and the first to graduate from a four-year institution.
Given the choice, I’ll always order … Double-Double with grilled onions, animal-style fries and a vanilla shake from In-N-Out.
Favorite thing about Northwestern: I love Northwestern’s open community. Students, faculty and staff are so warm and welcoming that it made my transition from California to Iowa much more pleasant. The openness also allows for sincere conversations about faith and the struggles of life.
College search advice: Much like in real estate, the college search process has three important rules: Visit. Visit. Visit. Learn to appreciate the value of experiencing the college or university first hand. Sit in on classes, eat in the cafeteria, and spend the night in a dorm if you can. Nothing can tell you more about an institution’s foci and its students’ motivations than the students themselves. Visiting when schools are in session gives you that opportunity.
