Growing up in Indianola, senior Joe Edgington values the comfortable size campus Simpson offers. After attending the University of Iowa following high school, Edgington realized Simpson’s atmosphere was best for him.

During his final semester at Simpson, Edgington is finishing his majors in physics and biology and minor in mathematics. While most of us shrill to hear all three of these courses together, Edgington loves his interests and classifies himself as some what of a nerd.

“I enjoy working on projects with my peers in the Physics Department, last week we built a hovercraft,” Edgington said.

Whether he is building a new piece of technology or training for a triathlon, Edgington keeps busy.

“I spend a lot of time running, cycling and swimming, but I really enjoy pretty much anything outdoors,” Edgington said. “But whatever I’m doing, I most enjoy it in the company of my girlfriend, Laura Preston.”

While Edgington values free time, his Simpson experience has helped him become a more successful student.

“I’ve learned a lot here at Simpson,” Edgington said. “More specifically, I have learned that there is more to being a good student than just getting good grades. One of the most important things that I have taken from all my experiences is that to be truly happy you can’t let happiness depend on current circumstances or future aspirations.”

With graduation approaching in May, Edgington is currently in the works of lining up a summer job and heading to graduate school. His ultimate goal is pretty simple–earn his graduate degree and find a good job.

While college has taught Edgington many valuable lessons, he contributes a lot of who he is to his family and those closest to him.

“I learned a lot from my parents, and although they are not the first people I would go to for dating advice, I cannot imagine two better mentors [and] teachers,” Edgington said. “People are the most important thing to me, and being good to the people with whom I interact. I could tell you a lot of things that make me feel good, but nothing makes me happier than being with the people I love, and seeing [and] making them happy.”

Edgington would like to offer students advice on relaxing and not getting caught up in all the hype.

“You need to spend a lot of time figuring out who you are and what you want, not what others want from you,” Edgington said. “Also, you are probably going to make more mistakes in these four years than you have in all your life up to this point, so learn from them and become a better person as a result.”