Incredible Students: Raylene Gould

I love people, therefore, I love my job. I have full permission to stop folks in their tracks and ask them to tell me about their lives - an extrovert’s dream.

So when I spotted Raylene Gould standing outside MSC, I asked if she would mind telling me about herself. She was very gracious and volunteered her time then and there.

Raylene Gould, #7 for LETU Women's Soccer

Raylene is a freshman from Fremont, CA. She came to LeTourneau after being recruited for Women’s Soccer. I asked her how Longview stacked up to her hometown.

“I’m really liking Texas. The people are so much nicer to be around.”

In addition to being a Californian and soccer player, Raylene is a Biology major and aspires to be a large and small animal veterinarian.

“I’ve just always wanted to be one since I was little. My dream job would be to work with exotic animals. I interned with my uncle who’s a vet…he actually worked on a white tiger. That was really cool.”

One of the things I liked the most about speaking with Raylene was hearing her describe the relationships she’s made so far at LETU between peers, professors, and coaches: “I really like the community of LeTourneau. I love my soccer team. Everyone has worked so hard and my coaches are wonderful. They really want to see the best in me. My advisor is constantly encouraging me.”

She spoke fondly of her dorm, South Hall East, but said she spends a lot of time hanging out in Davis as well.

Curious, I asked her if there were any aspects about college life she didn’t expect coming in – either positive or negative.

“I prepared myself for there to be a lot of work – well, I do have a lot, but it wasn’t as horrific as I thought it was going to be.”

“You’re happy with the balance between school and a social life?” I asked.

“Yeah. Being on the soccer team and working on schoolwork wasn’t so overwhelming that I had to pick one.”

Make no mistake, Raylene expressed her workload wasn’t easy, but I did happen to catch her during a rare break.

Being a recent college graduate, I know free time as a student is precious. I wrapped the interview up with a typical question for freshmen: “Has it been hard for you to be so far away from home?”

Her atypical answer left me with an even greater admiration for LETU’s student community: “No. I just feel so welcome…like I belong here.”

Jenna Pace is LeTourneau University’s Social Media Coordinator and Writer. She spends her days getting to know the LETU community. You can contact her at jennapace@letu.edu