Photo by: Clarion Staff

The class of 2004 is a true class of Pioneers where leaders were made.

This year’s graduating class has spent the majority of their years at the University of Denver wading through construction sites and their classes.

They have witnessed an uproar over the appointment of the university’s first president, with many speaking out for or against it.

Their electronic world was turned upside down with the creation of Web Central and My Web.

If they were Greek, some of their homes were ripped down to make room for the new law building.

They cheered the hockey team through the regular season and the Frozen Four to a Division I championship and women’s tennis and women’s soccer to Sun Belt Championships.

Daniels College of Business was named in the top 50 business schools in the world and the law school made the top 80.

Throughout it all though, they survived.

The following are the profiles and experiences of 11 members of the senior class.

They discuss what they loved, what they disliked, what they learned and how they managed to survive their years at the university.

Some of the profiled toiled in senate while others raised funds for their Greek house’s philanthropy event and others sweated for student media.

They helped recruite new students for the future classes of Pioneers through tour groups and Discoveries and SOAR.

They remained active with various extracurriculars and balanced their social lives with their classes.

They tell how they did, what stimulants they used and how the kept their stress levels under control.

They leave the university after commencement ceremonies as leaders of DU and enter a new world outside DU’s small community.

Some plan to go to go to medical, law or graduate school. Some will travel or head to work.

For now, they reflect on their time at the university and share their experiences and words of wisdom.

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This “Greek Woman of the Year” has lived up to her reputation.

Katie Vilders has marked her years at the University of Denver by being heavily involved with her sorority, Delta Zeta, and other campus activities. She has served in three different vice-president positions and as the chair of two committees. When she wasn’t working for her sorority, she conducted tours of the campus for Team 1864, served on the Discoveries staff and DU Programs Board, played intramural sports and was a member of Omicron Delta Kappa, a leadership honor society.

Vilders counts her experience with Greek life as a top accomplishment and is honored to have been recognized by the Office of Greek life.

“It’s amazing to me to have my accomplishments recognized by respected people and to be part of an organization that allows me and pushes me to do and to accomplish so much,” she said. “Being Greek is something I will always be thankful for.”

For Vilders, the key to surviving her time at college has been finding a balance with a proper amount of stimulants and support.

“Don’t waste all of your time drunk and stupid, but don’t waste all of it in the library studying either,” Vilders said.

Her stimulants are “Pepsi and chocolate, to keep me motivated to study” and her friends are whom she credits with keeping her “strong and they are what I have to look forward to after graduation.”

Vilders said she will cherish her time at DU.

“[I have been] remembering that it will all be over soon and really looking to the future and imagining an outcome. I grew up on the campus, I have watched it grow and I can’t wait to see it again in a time when it will not be under construction.”

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Nastasia Liavas hopes that she will be remembered for a smiling face and counts freshmen and dancers as some of her favorite people. She has spent her years at the University of Denver helping incoming freshmen adapt to their lives as college students while serving as a leader, intern and lead intern for the Discoveries Orientation Program.

“My favorite experience at DU has been being involved in the orientation program,” Liavas said. “I have enjoyed helping and mentoring the first-year students, and I love keeping in touch with them and seeing them grow over the years.”

When she needed to get away from it all, Liavas found her relief on the dance floor with the DU Dance Team.

“These girls have been my support system and just being around them is uplifting,” she said.

This marketing major hasn’t slacked off in academics either. As a member of multiple honor societies and president of Omicron Delta Kappa, a leadership honor society, Liavas has made the most of her years at DU.

“I love how our school makes it easy to take part in whatever you want,” she said.

Taking part in as much as possible washer key to success at DU.

“Don’t wait until your senior year to experience college,” Liavas said. “Enjoy every moment you have her because it will be over before you know it.”

Liavas credits Lisa Mayte-Edwards and Theresa Conley for their help during her four years.

Mayte-Edwards “has taught me more about myself, other and life than anyone else,” she explained. “[Conley] has taught me to push myself to my limits and do the best I possibly can at all times.”

After graduation, Liavas will travel for a month before she begins her career.

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Chris Adams has been a busy man.

In addition to his duties as president of AUSA Senate and resident manager for the Department of Residence, Adams has squeezed in a double major in molecular biology and biochemistry with a minor in medical physics. To round off his list of accomplishments, Adams has become the first student in 25 years from the University of Denver to be accepted to Harvard Medical School, where he plans to enroll in the fall.

But Adams said that serving as AUSA president is his favorite accomplishment at DU.

“I believe that I will be remembered as a person who served the DU community whole-heartedly, especially in the area of student government,” Adams said. “Hopefully, I will be an inspiration for all the pre-meds out there as well,” he added.

Adams lists “the amazing people on campus and great faculty” as his favorite aspect of the university, and credits many of them with helping him during his time at the university.

“Chancellor [Daniel] Ritchie, President [Marc] Holtzman, Professor [Joseph] Angleson, Professor [Phillip] Danielson and Carl Johnson have challenged me to reach my full potential both academically and personally,” said Adams.

Adams has also served as treasurer for the Black Student Alliance, AUSA Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Engineering senator and AUSA Diversity Committee chairman.

It’s been a busy four years for Adams, but through all the help he said he received along the way, he offered the remaining students simple advice.

“The University of Denver is an amazing institution. Make the most of your opportunities and get involved with student organizations if possible.”

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Amber Kirchenschlager knows the mind and law of the University of Denver. As a sociology and psychology double-major with a minor in legal studies, Kirchenschlager has used the lessons she learned inside the classroom, outside the classroom.

She has helped pass on her knowledge in sociology as a teacher’s assistant and has brought her legal expertise to the AUSA Senate as a AHUM/SOCS senator for two years and the finance committee chair. She also remained active socially, serving as financial vice president and president of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority and serving as a member of Rho Lambda.

“My favorite accomplishment was seeing all of the amazing women we initiated into my sorority in the past two years,” Kirchenschlager said. “I’ll remember most the travling to formals, hanging out at Greek events, raising money for different organizations and having a great time with friends.”

She said that she believes it is through her work as a senator and president of Gamma Phi Beta that she made the greatest impact on campus.

“I will probably be remembered most thorough either being the president of Gamma Phi during last year’s amazing philanthropy, See-Saw-A-Thon, or for being the senate member who always said exactly what was on her mind.”

Between her comings and goings, Kircheschlager has remained competitive academically and is a member of Alpha Kappa Delta, the Sociology Department’s honor society, Mortar Board, and lent a hand to the homecoming committee, the yearbook and the Marsico Student Advisory Committee.

Kirchenschlager said balancing her activities and having a little bit of fun along the way was essential to her experience.

“College is the best time of your life. It’s only for four years and it flies by, so have fun and don’t take life too seriously,” she said. “The key for me was great friends, keeping busy and going out to relieve stress.”

After graduation, Kirchenschlager is headed to law school in San Diego.