Camille Stevens-Rumann
Class of 2007

Camille may have graduated high school in Phoenix, Arizona, but she attended 11 different schools around the world before doing so. She majors in Biology as well as pursuing an Independent Interdisciplinary Major in Environmental Studies & Sustainable Development. She eventually hopes to become an environmental ecologist.  Camille’s activities in high school shaped her decisions about which ones to take on in college.

“I did track and cross country and I was captain both junior and senior year.  I volunteered a lot in high school at homeless shelters and I helped create the National Students’ Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness group at my high school.  I was also a part of our dance company.”

Now at Brandeis, Camille is the captain of the indoor and outdoor track team and captain of the cross country team. She is a dancer in Step-So Unique, one of the step teams on campus, and she participates in Big Brothers Big Sisters.

“I really liked the focus on Social Justice at Brandeis, and I knew what I wanted to study.  But, I also wanted the opportunity to take classes outside my major, the foundation of a well-rounded liberal arts education.  I also loved the Boston area!”

When thinking about the professors she’s encountered at Brandeis, Camille focuses on one in particular.

 “Professor Dan Perlman has been my favorite professor by far. I have taken almost all of the classes he has taught. No matter what the size of the class, he learns everyone's name and tries to get to know everyone on a personal level. He is now my thesis advisor and I have received unending help from him, not only for my thesis but also as I prepare to graduate and move on in the field in subsequent years.”

One of Camille’s passions, besides academics, has been athletics.

“Our cross country team does crazy running competitions, one of which is called the Donut Mile in which you must eat a dozen donuts in 15 minutes (3 of which must be Boston Cream) and then run a sub six-minute mile.  It occurs about every other year and to date only three people have successfully completed it - two guys and one girl.  I completed it with two seconds to spare. I ate the donuts in exactly 15 minutes and ran the mile in 5:58.  I could not have done it without the support of my teammates who kept the pace all the way through.  Now, I hate donuts, but it’s definitely one of the things I’ll never forget about my amazing college experience!”

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