In 20 words or less, what is the best thing about being part of this department?
The depth of learning you are able to achieve from both faculty and peers

What is your biggest piece of advice to first years and sophomores about getting connected to this department?
Talk to faculty. Go to office hours even just to stop by and say hi. They have so much knowledge and direction that they just don’t have time to give in lectures and structured classes. They have always given me great advice and helped with any projects and even with things like jobs and graduate school.

What is something you know now that you wish you could tell your first-year self?
It’s going to be hard but it’ll be worth it. You’ll be pushed in ways you never expected but you’re going to grow so much.

What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned at K?
I’ve grown so much in my confidence during my time at K. The way that both the material and the people around me have pushed me to really take ownership of what I can contribute to a conversation and that my perspective can be valuable has helped me in so many ways.

What has been your favorite class at K? 
So far my favorite class has been WGS 390: Queer Kinship!

How have you taken advantage of the flexible curriculum or experienced breadth?
Not having gen eds not only allowed me to dive into what I really wanted to study but also take classes on subjects I never thought of studying in college before like CES, religion, or classics. It’s been really interesting to be able to explore different departments’ structures and teaching styles!

What experiential education opportunities have you participated in?|
I was a CES for the center for civic engagement for 2 years leading their reproductive justice program and I’m one of the founding board members of Crystal Queer.

What is your SIP?
Sapphic Signals: Strategic (In)Visibility and Queer Codes

What are your career aspirations/next steps after K?
I currently work at a youth shelter and want to continue to do boots-on-the-ground organizing in my community.

What is a random fun fact about you?
I attended culinary school before coming to K and have a certificate in pastry arts!

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In 20 words or less, what is the best thing about being part of this department?
The best part about being part of the department is being able to grow your own personal view about the things in the world all in one little classroom.

What is your biggest piece of advice to first years and sophomores about getting connected to this department?
When it comes to getting connected to a department, feel free to ask any upperclassmen or your department chair, or any professors, Don’t be afraid to ask like genuine questions, ask what classes worked or didn’t, ask anything and everything!!

What is something you know now that you wish you could tell your first-year self?
One thing I wish I could tell my freshman year self is to have fun. All those opportunities are great, yes do them learn from, grow from them, but don’t forget to also take the time for all the good things you do academically, professionally.

What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned at K?
The most important thing I have learned during my time at K is this school will test you in more ways than you think, but they also give you so many opportunities that you should take advantage of, that being clubs, meetings, positions, etc. Taking advantage of those are just free moments of opportunity and growth that you can take and learn from.

What has been your favorite class at K? 
My favorite class here at K would have to be ANSO 270-01 Communities and Schools. The reason being because I learned so much about how schools and institutions do things for social standards, and it opened my eyes to so much.

How have you taken advantage of the flexible curriculum or experienced breadth?
I had originally came in wanting to pursue the  3/2 engineering program, and because I had the versatility and mobility to be able to try so many things I tried an AnSo class and I knew I wanted it as one of my majors. And even through the flexible curriculum I took an astronomy class and a trumpet playing class.

What experiential education opportunities have you participated in?
I have been a part of student organization leadership, Latinx Student Organization Underclassmen Co-President, and now Upperclassmen Co-President. As well as work with the Center of Civic Engagement to work at El Sol. Additionally, I received the Center for Career and Professional Development Stipend for an unpaid internship that I got over the summer.

What is your SIP?
My SIP, is titled “Mentorship, Institutional Power, and the Construction of ‘At-Risk’ Students” where I am interviewing members of mentoring programs. My research will explore how social and educational institutions shape access to mentorship opportunities and how these same institutions often define certain students as “at risk.” Additionally, this study seeks to understand how mentorship is used as a form of intervention or support for students labeled “at-risk,” while also examining the contradiction that institutions contributing to unequal access to mentorship are often the same institutions responsible for labeling students as needing support in the first place.

What are your career aspirations/next steps after K?
Tentatively after K, I am planning to get my masters maybe in Public Administration. I am planning to go into youth development maybe within the non-profit sector.

What is a random fun fact about you?
I can finger spell in ASL, and I got a tattoo based on my summer camp counselor job.