Political Science Major
Political Science Major
My Political Science major has been my most passionate and engaging field of study. Course topics within this major have included contemporary politics, international relations, Latin American politics, Intelligence Policy (in the U.S. and abroad), and performing preliminary and in-depth research. This wide base of knowledge has taught me how to be a political scientist and how to view the world through the lens of relations between individuals, leaders, and nations.
In my Senior Seminar class, I have spent the semester developing research on whether predictors of symbolic racism also explain contemporary sentiments of anti-black racial animus in America.
Previous literature identifies principled conservatism (hostility toward government intervention in American society), social conservatism (exhibiting high levels of nationalism and preference for America's historical past), and Minority Conflict Theory as strong indicators of modern racism. Recent scholarship addressing the polarity of American politics today has found that party identification is becoming an increasing part of individual identity, which leads to my hypothesis of a fourth indicator worth examining: the strength and impact of individual self-identified political party as a determinant for contemporary qualities of racism.
To produce focused results, I study variable interactions between independent variables that measure these theories and two specific indicators of modern-day racism: contemporary debates about whether increased public attention to the history of slavery and racism in America is good or bad for our society, and public opinion on whether institutionalized white privilege persists today.
My findings result in confirmation of my four hypotheses and are explained in added detail in the slides below!
English Major
My English major has holistically prepared me for every facet of my academic and professional career. I entered HPU as only a Political Science major with a Spanish minor, and when I learned I would need more credits (an additional major or minor) to have a complete educational experience, I tried out Dr. Leclercq's english course per her advisement after my first semester Honors course. This turned out to be one of the best recommendations I've received, as this major has taught me the technical skills, literary analysis discipline, and writing abilities that will forever be useful.
Spanish Minor
My Spanish minor has enriched my language skills and provided me with numerous opportunities to prepare for a future as an active global citizen. This education has included courses on Spanish literature, film, culture, grammar, and spoken language, and has challenged me to practice and strengthen my fluency. I've taken Spanish classes since the 7th grade, and it is such an exciting accomplishment to have completed a focus in Spanish through higher education.
Honors Scholar Program
The Honors Program has largely shaped my professional and social development at HPU, surrounding me with a strong foundational community since my first day here. The holistic learning experience Honors provides challenges students to "think outside the box" and approach concepts from various angles/studies. For examples of work I've produced through honors, see the below slides.
Awards & Honors, Research, and Studying Abroad
Click the photos below to learn more!
Junior Marshal One of top 50 students in the Class of 2024, based on cumulative GPA
Sigma Delta Pi Spanish Honors Society
Pi Sigma Alpha Political Science Honors Society
Sigma Tau Delta English Honors Society
Class of 2024's Female of the Year Selected by Student Senate ('22-'23)
Honors Scholar 2020-2024
Presidential Scholar 2020-2024
HighPURCS 2023 In addition to research projects I've developed for my major classes, the Honors Scholar Program gives students an amazing opportunity to pursue a topic of interest, improving collaboration skills and introducing all students to research study regardless of their academic background through the HNR3700-3800 course. This year, I presented research for the first time at the High-PURCS conference with my HNR3700-3800 group. Our capstone project examined "Father-Daughter Relationships with an Emphasis on Fathers", and was later presented at a National Honors Research Conference in November by two of our group members!
Spanish Maymester 2023 Studying abroad in Sevilla, Spain for 5 weeks to start the summer was one of the most rewarding academic experiences and was one of my favorite trips ever! Not only did my Spanish fluency improve greatly, I learned so much about the culture and history of Spain. This immersive experience strengthened my Spanish speaking and writing abilities, challenged and inspired me, and brought me some of my closest friendships.