[Editor's note: This is part 4 of 11 in a series of Aquinas College student profiles being published on the Aquinas website throughout the spring 2012 semester.]

When searching for potential colleges AQ senior Devin Lea remembers seeking out a community where he could belong. The geography major from Grand Ledge, Michigan said that when he chose Aquinas he knew he had found that place. Aquinas fulfilled all of his requirements: small school, good academic reputation and a connection with the campus. For him, finding a college that offered students a chance to interact with all parts of the community, from campus life to one-on-one time with professors to discovering personal niches, was essential for his own development. He feels that he found an immediate connection both with the AQ population as a whole and with the cross-country and track teams.

“I’ve had the opportunity for both. Where I’ve had this more, smaller tight-knit group with cross-country and track but then you get to know people just throughout the campus - all through different grades, through different classes and such, because of the size and the professors as well,” Lea said, preferring to be a name and a face at Aquinas versus just a number at a larger school.

"He races for his team and loves being a Saint,” said cross-country and track coach Michael Wojciakowski of Lea, who has been named the 2011 WHAC Conference Runner of the Year and an NAIA All-American. “He does everything that is asked of him and truly, it’s been a real honor to work with someone of his integrity, morals and self-discipline. Devon has grown up a lot since arriving on Aquinas campus."

With his success in both AQ cross country and track, Lea leaves behind a legacy of personal growth. He has had to work hard and be very dedicated in order to achieve all that he has, especially since he is only one of seven AQ students to receive the afore mentioned honor.

And after graduation? "This is where it gets a bit difficult. I still haven’t exactly nailed that down,” he said. Certainly he will pursue graduate school but finding the right fit has been difficult. He has discovered schools along the both the West Coast and East Coast but finding a program that fits his interest in fluvial geomorphology has been difficult. Lea would like to work in the field for a while then perhaps consult on geomorphology in the private sector or teach in order to put his experiences to work.

During his time at Aquinas Lea feels that he has certainly changed a lot. “Just geography in general. Initially when I came in, I had my mind set that I wanted to do history, and at least out of high school I thought ‘OK I’m going to do history, I’m going into education, and I'm going to be a history teacher,’" he said, "and I feel now, looking back on it, I almost actually knew I wanted to do geography. I’d simply never had a geography class before.” For Lea being able to apply Earth sciences to reality was an undiscovered passion until the fall of his sophomore year.

With running consuming most of his spare time, Lea said that the individual training methods and encouragement through cross-country has made him a better athlete and has improved him as a person. In the spring of 2012, he plans to run a marathon and finish within the top six.