Directory

Hometown

• Centerville, Ohio

What do you love most about UD?

I love the interconnected nature of student and faculty life. I have often found a quick companionship with the people in my classes and other students on campus. Our small class sizes and friendly atmosphere create an inviting environment. I also trust the students around me and feel comfortable asking others for help or directions or what ever it may be, even if the student is a stranger. The faculty also works to build strong relationships with students. There are many opportunities to be involved in classes, organizations and in research that have helped me forge bonds with professors who continue to support me even after I've left their classes. Overall, I love the relationships I have built at UD and the support I have found across spaces and disciplines.

What do you like most about your major?

I love philosophy because I love to discuss ideas. In my pursuit of a philosophy degree, I have learned to be a more effective communicator and a better listener. Philosophy demands clarity and thorough examination which has strengthened my writing and honed my critical thinking skills. I have learned to carefully examine and criticize my own ideas and assumptions and the ideas of others, and to view the pursuit of knowledge and understanding as a privilege rather than a to-do. I have also recently added a sustainability major with a concentration in urban sustainability, which is in the College of Arts and Sciences. I am thrilled to be able to pursue sustainability as a humanities major. I have long been passionate about environmental conservation and protection, and through the urban sustainability major I have the opportunity to learn about climate, environmental justice and a wide range of other sustainability issues with a focus on problem solving and finding solutions for the common good.

Favorite class at UD and why?

My favorite class at UD was Social Philosophy with Dr. Michael Cox. In this class, we explored social issues of race, violence, poverty and the rise of neoliberal capitalism through a philosophical and social justice lens. The class was a hybrid of lecture and discussion, and it felt like a safe space to share ideas and receive constructive criticism. I learned something new in every assigned reading we had and I looked forward to every class. I felt invested in what we were learning because it directly informed my everyday life. After taking the class, I find I have a much deeper understanding of American society (and therefore the world around me) and the roots of our most pressing social issues. This class forced me to examine things I took for granted about our society. PHL 310 filled in gaps in my understanding of our history and contemporary situation and helped me form well-rounded and thoroughly supported opinions and arguments. Overall, my experience was enormously rewarding and I hope to have the opportunity to take similar classes in the future.

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

Over the summer of 2023, I served as the Policy and Project Management Undergraduate Sustainability Fellow in the inaugural cohort with the City of Dayton Office of Sustainability, sponsored by and in partnership with the Hanley Sustainability Institute. Through this experience, I gained first-hand knowledge of how city government works and how cities, both ours and others, are uniquely positioned to make impactful changes to achieve sustainability. I am excited and honored to have been invited, with my fellow cohort members, to continue with the city through the 2023-24 school year to continue our work and keep learning how to make sustainability happen for the citizens of our city. 

What clubs/organizations are you involved in at UD?

• Costume shop (dance and theater companies)
• River Stewards
• Core Fellowship Program
• Hanley Sustainability Institute

Why did you choose UD?

I chose UD because of the Core program. The Core program is an interdisciplinary, integrated humanities program that offers specialized educational pathways. I came to UD as a philosophy major because the Core program offers a 3 + 2 Philosophy Undergraduate and JD program, which means I could graduate with an undergraduate and law degree in just five years. This unique opportunity, and the nature of the Core program overall, drew me to UD.