Written by Monet Lindstrand
Each year the Ball State Foundation highlights 100 Ball State University junior and senior students who excelled in the areas of academic excellence, campus leadership, and community impact. The goal is to honor students who embrace the values of Beneficence and represent all that the University strives to achieve. Amongst these Top 100 students, 50 are identified in the announcement by the Foundation as the highest-performing applicants. The goal of the program is to highlight the success of Ball State students and provide them with mentorship and support as they continue to make the university proud.
The College of Sciences and Humanities was thrilled to have 36 students receive the honor of making the Top 100 list. One such student is Brenna Large, a junior double major in Political Science and History with a minor in Fashion from Plymouth, Indiana. Brenna was identified as a Top 50 student as well in recognition of all that she has achieved throughout her time at Ball State thus far.
As a double major, Brenna has had the opportunity to explore a variety of academic interests over the past few years. When asked why she chose to pursue her majors here at Ball State, she noted that she was influenced by the post-graduate opportunities that current students have received. In particular, graduates of the Ball State History program have gone into master’s degrees at universities that she is interested in, which is what officially sold her. It was evident to Brenna that the education she would receive at Ball State was ideal for her time after undergrad. In addition to History, she chose the Political Science program here because she was able to choose a general track rather than a specific niche, which would allow her to explore various topics of study, which is especially beneficial as a double major. Overall, Brenna chose Ball State because she truly felt at home on the campus and could envision herself at the university. This has proven true for her, as she highlights that one of the best things about her time here has been the friends and connections she’s made.
Outside of the classroom, Brenna has embraced all that Ball State has to offer regarding student activities. Her largest commitment is with the Student Government Association (SGA), for which she currently serves as the President Pro Tempore of the Student Senate. This position is focused on recruitment and retention, and so she primarily works to recruit new senators to the organization and support them throughout their time in SGA. Brenna has been a member of SGA since she was a freshman, serving as both a senator and as the Parliamentarian prior to her current role. Most recently, Brenna Large was elected as SGA’s Vice President for the 2024-2025 academic year.
In addition to her position in SGA, Brenna is the President of Kappa Delta sorority. She notes that this has been an incredibly fun position to hold, as she gets to serve her chapter and be more involved in the Fraternity and Sorority (FSL) community as a whole. She additionally is a member of the Order of Omega Greek honor society and writes for the Ball State chapter of Her Campus Women’s Magazine. Her Campus specifically provides her a creative outlet to explore her passions outside of academics and her other organizations. Although she is an incredibly involved student, Brenna noted that in her free time, she enjoys spending time with her friends, cooking and baking, reading, and just recently learned how to crochet.
Looking forward to the future, Brenna’s current post-graduation plans include pursuing a graduate degree in a Public History Museum program, ideally in Washington, DC, or in the New England/ East Coast area. As she approaches her senior year, one piece of advice that she has for incoming freshmen is to take advantage of all the opportunities that they have here at Ball State. There are so many different avenues that one can take while at the university, and she encourages every student to go out and search for their community and second home.