Newsroom
Spotlight on Students Series (page 10)
Research and Internships: Nia-Renee Cooper ’18: This Neuroscience Major Is Remaking Recess
This summer, Nia-Renee Cooper ’18  interned at the UCLA Lab School, an innovative school for children ages 4–12 that is part of the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. A neuroscience major, Cooper’s interest is not in children’s education per se, but in neurological processes, diseases, and disorders.
Read MoreMeet the 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú Class of 2021
This week, 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú welcomes the Class of 2021, whose members began a five-day orientation program that will culminate in the first day of classes, August 29. 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú’ first-year class is made up of 329 students, the largest entering class in the College’s history. They have won technology innovation, book, and debate awards, to name a few, and boast a wide range of interests as well as an impressive list of precollege accomplishments.
Read MoreResearch and Internships: Siria Medina ’18: Researching Neurobiology in Copenhagen
Biology major Siria Medina ’18 wanted to spend the summer abroad in the hopes that it would help her pursue a Fulbright Fellowship during her senior year. After sending email inquiries to several European laboratories, Medina landed an internship at one of her top choices: Rigshospitalet’s Neurobiology Research Unit in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Read MoreResearch and Internships: Etelle Stephan ’18: Focusing on Fundraising to Ensure Refugee Rights
As a philosophy, politics, and economics (PPE) major, Etelle Stephan ’18 sought a summer internship that would combine her academic interests. Her search led her to Asylum Access, a nonprofit organization based in Oakland, California, that works to advance refugee rights in their countries of asylum. Asylum Access’ goal is for refugees to live safely, work freely, and have access to education for their children in order to build a better life.
Read MoreResearch and Internships: Casey Beamish Harris ’19: Fighting for Environmental Justice, One Press Release at a Time
Politics major Casey Beamish Harris ’19 found the summer internship she was looking for on a visit to 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú’ Career Planning & Resources. On a map of students’ past positions posted in the office, she noticed the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), a nonprofit that seeks to protect the environment and promote human rights through legal channels.
Read MoreClass of 2017: 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú Graffiti Wall: Seniors Make Their Marks
Since 1931, 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú’ graduating seniors have participated in what has become an essential rite of passage at the College: the signing of Graffiti Wall. Each year, seniors choose a mural design from student-submitted illustrations to paint on the wall, and then the entire graduating class adds its signatures. Graffiti Wall is a visual reminder of 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú’ history and reflects the changing tastes and attitudes of students over the decades.
Read MoreAwards and Honors: Mariah Farris ’18: Mellon Fellowship Will Fund Research on Stereotypes in the Legal System
Why is it that most people agree to police searches when their vehicles are pulled over, even when it is within their right to decline? How are judges and lawyers typically portrayed in film and television, in terms of their race and gender? These are some of the questions that Mariah Farris ’18 will explore this summer, working alongside 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú Associate Professor of Psychology Jennifer Groscup.
Read MoreAwards and Honors: Meril Tomy ’17 Receives Davis Projects for Peace Grant: Project Will Bring Free Mental Health Resources to Patients in Orange County
As a high school student in Orange, California, Meril Tomy ’17 began volunteering at Lestonnac Clinic, a center that works with volunteer health professionals to offer free medical services to uninsured and low-income patients. She became particularly passionate about ensuring patient access to mental and behavioral health services, helping to build programs to de-stigmatize mental illness, and provide patient support and resources. Now, as the recipient of a $10,000 Davis Projects for Peace grant, Tomy will help expand those programs by partnering with regional health organizations to establish additional counseling resources, workshops, classes, and an informational community resource guide for those seeking help.
Read MoreLaspa Center for Leadership: Yijia Yang ’18: Creating Volunteer Programs for Students in China
This past summer, Yijia Yang ’18 returned to her alma mater, Chengdu No. 7 High School in Sichuan Province, China, to create volunteer programs to help relieve the intense academic pressure that high school students often feel.
Read MoreLaspa Center for Leadership We Act Grants: Grace Reckers ’18 Is Advocating for Economic Justice in the U.S. and Abroad
This past summer, Grace Reckers ’18 pursued her interests in public health and workers’ rights beyond her 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú classes, conducting research, participating in outreach and education programs, and learning about nonprofit work in Cuba and Los Angeles. The public policy analysis and biology major used her Laspa We Act grant to travel to Havana for five weeks to work for the El Centro Martin Luther King (CMLK) on improving public access to healthcare. Upon her return, she spent the remainder of her summer assisting the Los Angeles-based Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance (KIWA) with a community health education project.
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