In seminar courses within the History and International Studies programs, I was repeatedly drawn to the hidden histories of women and the politics of gender violence. I built upon these research interests in my graduate studies by studying feminist advocacy against gender-based violence in Latin America. Now that I am a Ph.D. candidate, I am preparing a dissertation on the political decision-making and policy processes that shape the experiences of survivors of gender-based violence. I have studied policies on Violence Against Women globally, but my dissertation will likely bring me to the U.S.-Mexico border, where the dangerous and lethal working conditions of women working in U.S.-owned factories located in Mexico prompted activists to draw international attention to the intersection of socioeconomic and gender inequalities. I have been fortunate to receive grants and fellowships throughout my studies which supported the interdisciplinarity nature of this research and empowered me to pursue this agenda while building community with a diverse family of other students and scholars. This summer, I look forward to contributing to local advocacy efforts through an internship sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts that will provide me with opportunities to produce policy-relevant research and learn about career paths in rights advocacy.
Some of my favorite courses in the History major were "Russia in the 20th Century" with Dr. Belsky, "Middle Eastern History Through Film" with Dr. Stanfield-Johnson, and "Herodotus and the Greco-Persian Wars," the seminar my senior year with Dr. Rop. These courses each covered vastly different regions and periods, and yet they each empowered me to not only understand the impact of these histories but also critically engage with the way history is recorded. In the term papers for these courses, I considered the understudied and even concealed perspectives of women. My writing benefited from the committed mentorship of these professors, who provided me with opportunities to build on my work beyond the classroom.
I recall fondly that Dr. Stanfield-Johnson hosted an Arabic club that offered lessons of such rigor that it was essentially a free language course. After taking two courses with Dr. Belsky, I completed an independent study with her, which resulted in a paper project comparing the depiction of women in Soviet films that I presented at a conference for undergraduate students in the department of Russian studies at Macalester College. Finally, Dr. Rop invited a colleague to speak to our seminar class about the McNair program. As a first-generation college student, I knew very little about graduate studies and did not think they were an option for me. Dr. Rop convinced me otherwise, and the program funded me for the summer after graduation to apply to graduate programs and work on a full research project under Dr. Rop's mentorship to prepare for the rigor of doctoral studies. I would not have had access to my dream job without this support.