Jump In and Get Immersed
This winter we invite you to take a few big breaths and plunge deeply into the concept of immersion.
The word probably conjures different images for each of us. Perhaps it makes you recall the anxious excitement of stepping off a plane in a country where you only knew three phrases in the local tongue, or the profound peace of losing yourself in a research project for ten unbroken hours. Maybe it’s the thrill of a virtual reality headset transporting you to another world, or the total absorption required to finally master a challenging musical composition.
Whatever the context—academic, cultural, technological, or personal—immersion is about total engagement, about stepping fully into an experience and letting it wash over you. It’s the moment when the line between the observer and the experience itself begins to dissolve.
In so many different respects, the undergraduate experience at Pomona reflects the notion that true learning and growth happen not just through participation, but through total submersion. This issue of PCM reflects the different ways our students, faculty and alumni have pushed beyond the comfortable surface of familiar routines to explore what lies beneath.
You’ll read stories from both campus and around the globe about folks like….
- Bernard Chan ’88, the new chairman of Hong Kong’s fast-growing West Kowloon Cultural District, which he aims to expand into a must-visit hub for East Asia.
- Naira de Gracia ’14, who spent five months studying penguin colonies in a shack in subfreezing temperatures in Antarctica.
- Ben Hoyt ’00 of 47 Games, who has developed immersive experiences for Marvel and other major entertainment brands.
- Eric Kneedler ’95, the U.S. Ambassador to Rwanda, whose international work has involved everything from presidential delegations to visa interviews with Jackie Chan.
The breadth of stories show that immersion can be not just a tool for cultural and intellectual growth, but a cutting-edge field of creative and technical innovation. My hope is that this issue in your hands will be, in itself, an immersive experience, and one that inspires you to reflect on your own moments of complete engagement. Where, when and how
have you felt truly immersed?
Dive in.
Adam Conner-Simons ’08, PCM Spring 2025 Guest Editor
On another note, this will be my last issue jumping in as editor-in-chief, with Pomona transitioning to hire a permanent editor. It has been such an honor to tell the stories of so many special Sagehens and to connect with so many fellow alums about what makes the College so great. Hope to see you on-campus sometime!
Best,
Adam
—Adam Conner-Simons ’08
editor-in-chief