Directory

Hometown

• Bourbonnais, Ill.

What do you love most about UD?

The UD curriculum has an emphasis on experiential learning that gives students hands-on work in the field. I have had the opportunity to meet community leaders in the Dayton area and learn about the grassroots activism that is happening around our community, I was granted housing and a stipend to intern in Washington D.C. for 10 weeks and I work with human rights professionals in the UD Human Rights Center. Because of these experiences, I am competitive in my field and have experiences necessary for post-grad work.

What do you like most about your majors?

I think the Human Rights Studies program is perfect intersection of political science and international studies with a human rights lens. The broadness of the study is important, and every student has a slightly different path they want to take with this major, such as law school, research, community organization, political work and so on. The classes and professors challenge students to look at human rights violations around the world and right in our backyard, analyzing the history and how we can move forward. Because human rights dialogues are relatively new, the major brings students on their own unique path toward advocacy work.

Favorite class at UD and why?

I am apart of the Core program, which combines religion, philosophy, english and history to teach the intersection of humanities. In this program, students are assigned a seminar leader and a small seminar group, which encourages discussion and close connection to your peers you don't regularly get in first year classes. We also live on the same floor as other students in the program. Students work with high level academia and have in-depth discussions with their seminars, which really challenges me and I enjoy.

What piece of your academic journey has you most prepared to begin a career after graduation?

This summer I was in the DC Flyers program where I interned in the U.S. House of Representatives and lived in Washington, D.C. for 10 weeks. This experience taught me so much about federal politics and how advocacy work is being done in Congress. I was able to connect with alumni or advocates that work on Capitol Hill. I grew so much in my professional and personal skills throughout the summer and gained experience in my potential career path.

What clubs/organizations are you involved in at UD?

• Dayton Civic Scholars
• Club water polo
• Model United Nations
• Theta Phi Alpha
• DC Flyers cohort 2022

Why did you choose UD?

As cheesy as it sounds, the community as UD is honestly unmatched. I have made the best friends and gained amazing mentors through the academic programs here. The size of UD also drew me to it. I am always meeting new people, but still seem to see someone I know everywhere I go.

Is there anything else about your UD experience you think prospective students and their families should know?

UD is what each person makes of it. There are so many opportunities here to get involved in activities and gain amazing experiences but you have to seek them out. Your professors and mentors are working to help you, and your college experience will improve so much if you utilize their help and pursue opportunities that interest you.