Rhiannon Little is in her third year at the University of Maryland College Park, majoring in Criminology & Criminal Justice with a minor in Rhetoric. She was motivated by her experience as a tutor at the Jessup Correctional Institute's prison education program, where she formed meaningful relationships with her incarcerated students. She was curious about the influence of stigmatizing language on criminal justice attitudes.
This research was conducted under the guidance of Dr. Bianca Bersani. The entire 2024 CCJS Honors Cohort, TA Casey Kindall, and Dr. Bianca Bersani were instrumental in supporting Rhiannon through her thesis research. As she approaches her senior year, Rhiannon plans to remain connected to the CCJS community by continuing to expand her research. After graduation, she plans to work as an investigator for DC Public Defense before applying to law school.Â
Rhiannon's thesis received the Winston Family Honors Outstanding Thesis Award. The annual Winston Family Honors Writing Awards recognize the writing of Honors students with acknowledgment of the central role that faculty members play in mentoring Honors College students. Read more about the award here.