Among this year’s graduating class is one especially unique student. Evangeline Gillard ’25 (linguistics) graduated at the age of 18—and she did it along with earning a 4.0. cumulative GPA, Outstanding Academic Achievement recognition and Phi Alpha Chi status. 
 
As one of the youngest graduates in Gordon College history, Gillard arrived on campus in the fall of 2023 from University of Northwestern, St. Paul as part of Gordon’s 2+2 transfer students program. “Most people would be amazed when I told them my age, but seemed to forget shortly after,” shared Gillard. “The transition was less challenging than I had foreseen. That might be because I was plopped right into this amazing community, and it was just so easy to make connections.” 

A Journey Toward Linguistics 

Gillard was homeschooled and completed her associate’s degree during her final two years of high school, achieving both her high school diploma and associate’s degree at age 16. After finishing her time at the University of Northwestern, St. Paul, Gillard wanted to explore a bachelor's degree in linguistics, and she was specifically interested in doing that at a Christian college.  

“Gordon was one of the few Christian colleges that offered a linguistics major,” said Gillard. “I had first been interested in linguistics because I thought it would answer all the questions I had about words, language and writing. But it wasn’t until my first class that I realized how perfect it was for me.” 

In Gordon’s linguistics program students take courses like Sociolinguistics, History of the English Language and Semantics and Pragmatics. With a deep curiosity about writing systems and analyzing accents, Gillard opted for electives like Dialect Coaching and Intro to Communication Sciences and Disorders. To better learn how people learn to speak and learn languages. “The professors were so wonderful. I would have come to Gordon for Dr. Graeme Bird alone!” she said. 

Even though she had taken online college classes for her associate’s degree, Gillard found that the in-person classes at Gordon gave her more space to engage with challenging topics and consider new ideas alongside her classmates: “I’ve been pleased at how civil and respectful those conversations have been. We’re all very kind and generous to each other when we’re talking. We don't make others feel bad or wrong for what we believe. I really like talking about stuff in that way.” 

Transferring into Gordon 

On average Gordon welcomes 60 transfer students every year, offering them the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of a strong, faith-integrated learning community while also expediting their education and helping them save money. 

“We work hard to personalize students’ academic paths, make sure they have a feasible graduation timeline and understand all the courses they need to fulfill their major’s graduation requirements—and we make sure it’s as financially accessible as possible,” said Sophia Rowe ’22, a transfer admissions counselor. 

Gordon is part of the Massachusetts Transfer Guarantee Program, which accepts almost every associate’s degree from a Massachusetts community college as part of the 2+2 program. And because Gordon is so transfer-friendly, most associate's degrees from colleges in other states are also accepted. "One main reason I chose to come here was that Gordon took my entire associate's degree," Gillard said. 

A New Chapter 

In reflecting on the last two years, Gillard shared, “Being at Gordon has definitely grown me as a person. Gordon has helped me gain self-confidence and helped solidify what I believe by giving me the opportunity to be in Christian community at this time of my life. Part of me wishes I wasn’t graduating this semester because of my friends and how close we’ve all gotten over the past two years. I will totally be jealous of the fun Gordon experiences they’ll have after I’m gone.” 

What does Gillard have planned next? She’ll return home to Minnesota and seek out conferences on Bible translation and analytics. “They need linguists in that field desperately,” she said. “It’s very cool work. . . documenting languages that haven’t been written down before, particularly given the Bible-translation goal of every people group having access to Scripture in their own language by 2033." 

If you’ve completed your associate’s degree or are looking to transfer into a Christian college with strong academics and a supportive community, start by filling out an application. The Gordon College transfer students team can help you through our simple transfer process!