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Graduates are set for successful, impactful careers
Graduates are set for successful, impactful careers
Graduates are set for successful, impactful careers
Discovery that leads to fulfilment – that’s what Lawrence University offers to those who walk through its doors. Nestled in Appleton, Wisconsin, the university is among the top liberal arts colleges and one of the best in the nation, according to US News & World Report.
Here, you’ll find vibrant and engaging programmes, ranging from anthropology and psychology, to economics and music. Whichever you choose, you’ll be backed by a close-knit community with an 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio. Keen attention to your progress is guaranteed, as well as multifaceted, in-depth discussions that translate into lifelong learning.
“Graduating from Lawrence University equips students with not only academic knowledge, but the critical thinking, adaptability, and global awareness needed to excel and thrive in an ever-changing job market.”
of students are graduates of professional schools
26%
are employed full-time post-graduation
72%
of students move on to employment or further education within 6 months of graduation
99%
of students are from military, fellowships, or service
1%
From Appleton to great careers
An education at Lawrence can take you far. Each student gets an impactful education, regardless of whether they’re locals or among the 12% of international students hailing from over 30 countries – as seen in its near 100% placement rate. They’re leading careers at the likes of Google, Ernst & Young, Meta, and LinkedIn, or are pursuing graduate degrees at top universities like Johns Hopkins’s Bloomberg School of Public Health, Yale University, University of Oxford, Stanford University, and more.
This journey to the nation’s top organisations and universities starts from your first day at Lawrence University. You will have access to the university’s Career Centre, which offers advising, programming, career resources, and a network of Lawrentian mentors and employers to help secure opportunities that align with your interests. There’s an extensive collection of career discernment tools, such as "What Can I Do With This Major?" that offers information on career paths and strategies to maximise employment opportunities.
With such support and resources, graduates are well-equipped and ready to forge successful careers and lives. Life After Lawrence exemplifies this – you’ll see alumni who have gone on to greater heights and become Hall of Famers, Nobel Prize winners, Fulbright scholars, Rhodes scholars, Goldwater scholars, and even Academy Award nominees like Pawo Choyning Dorji.
Meet the Lawrentian who earned an Oscar nomination
Pawo Choyning Dorji' 06
Not many debut films end up seeing the light of day. Many attempts were never intended for a commercial release or new directors have trouble finding dedicated distributors.
Dorji’s debut film not only beat these odds, but was also nominated for an Academy Award in 2022. The filmmaker graduated from Lawrence in 2006, having studied government, taken courses across the humanities, explored his spirituality, served as president of Lawrence International, and worked at International House. After graduation, he studied Buddhism in a monastery in India, and spent nearly a decade travelling the world as a photographer before he ventured into filmmaking.
“Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom”, written and directed by Dorji and filmed in his home country Bhutan, was one of five films nominated in the International Feature Film category. The film, with its humble budget of US$300,000, tells the story of a young teacher, Ugyen, who intended to move to Australia but was assigned to teach in Lunana, Bhutan’s most remote village, as part of a service agreement. More impressively, the entire film was made with solar batteries, as the village had no access to electricity.
Filmed in the Dzongkha language, its availability was initially limited even with subtitles, but was eventually distributed by Samuel Goldwyn Films and marketed worldwide. It’s also available to stream on multiple platforms including Apple TV, Amazon, Google Play, Vudu, and YouTube.
The film has been hailed for its insightful and honest depiction of Bhutan, with The New York Times calling it a “gently efficient story.” Ang Lee, an Oscar-winning director (“Sense and Sensibility”, “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”, and “Brokeback Mountain”), referred to it as a “breath of fresh air” in a video call to Dorji following the nomination.
While Dorji did win the Oscar, his life was forever changed. He still bagged awards for his work, including earning honours at the Palm Springs International Film Festival and the BFI London Film Festival, among others.
“We shot in one of the remotest human settlements in the world; we had no electricity, no network connections, not even a shower for two months,” Dorji shares. “We had to work with a cast of actors who, forget about watching films, had never even seen a light bulb.”
Pawo Choyning Dorji
Since “Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom”, he has gone on to film “The Monk and the Gun,” a satirical drama set in 2006 about a young Bhutanese monk tasked with acquiring firearms in preparation for his country's upcoming democratic election. The movie earned the Showcase Audience Choice Award at the Vancouver International Film Festival and the Special Jury Prize at the Rome Film Festival before being shortlisted by the Academy.
Dorji’s global success has brought him back to Lawrence, where he recently spoke at the university’s 2024 Commencement Ceremony after being awarded an honorary doctorate.
“It takes a rather incredible journey to leave Lawrence as a government graduate and return 18 years later as an Oscar-nominated filmmaker,” he says in his speech. “When I look back at my experiences over the last 18 years, I realise that these were only possible because I was always curious to learn and explore. A deep sense of curiosity that refused to let me be bound by society and culture, and drove me to constantly explore. A sense of curiosity that was actually born out of Lawrence’s liberal arts education.”
“I am aware that for filmmakers across the world, an Oscar nomination is the crowning achievement of their creative careers, careers where they have worked hard and sacrificed so much to perfect the art of storytelling,” Dorji says. “I feel extremely fortunate and blessed to find myself in this position with my directorial debut. This inspires and motivates me to work even harder.”
Pawo Choyning Dorji
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