Winter 2021

Winter 2021 in 3 words: synthesizing, tiring, perplexing

Quarter in Review: Winter 2021 was another really tough quarter due to continued stress from the pandemic. I found myself definitely getting burnt out toward the end of the quarter, though I really enjoyed my coursework, and felt very inspired by the internship I was doing. A highlight was visiting my friend in the Methow Valley for two weeks, where I attempted (and fell a few times) while skiing, and got to enjoy multiple feet of snow and lots of fresh air.

Human Rights in Latin America, taught by Professor Godoy, was one of my favorite courses I've ever taken in my entire academic career. I appreciated how Professor Godoy let students take on leadership roles in the class, and how the course was "ungraded," so students participated and completed assignments out of intrinsic motivation to learn, rather than external incentives. Taking the Honors Art and Social Change class allowed me to try my hand at sewing and other forms of visual art, which was a much-needed screen break. And the Honors LGBTI Rights in International Affairs, while a very heavy topic, introduced me to LGBT rights diplomacy as a possible career option.

I really enjoyed my internship with the International Rescue Committee, funded by UCBI. In this role, I support a multi-language digital tutoring program for recently arrived refugees in the Seattle area, so they can support their children with virtual schooling. I'm learning so much about project management, administrative work, and the humanitarian aid sector through this internship, and I'm enjoying getting to know colleagues from so many different countries. I hope to continue this internship in future quarters.

Courses: Honors LGBTI Rights in International Affairs, Human Rights in Latin America, Honors Art and Social Change

Extracurriculars: Intern at the International Rescue Committee, Wellness Weekly co-host, Director of Philanthropy for the Unite UW Student Association, Director of Fundraising for the Jackson School Student Association

Artifacts

LGBTI Rights Midterm

This midterm ultimately formed the basis of my Honors thesis on LGBT rights in Poland. For this assignment, we were asked to describe a LGBT human rights abuse in a country of our choosing and why it is a pressing issue. After a bit of research, I decided to discuss "LGBT-free" zones in Poland. This assignment challenged me, because we were asked to incorporate many different sources while staying concise. The topic of this paper stuck with me, and I recognized after I had finished writing that I still had many more questions around the best policy response to these zones.

Copy of midterm (1).pdf

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Honors Art and Social Change Midterm

I appreciated my Honors Art class because it emphasized making art, which was a much-needed screen break! For our midterm assignment, we were asked to use the sewing skills we learned in class to reflect the theme of "waiting." I took the assignment pretty literally and made a giant mask with patches representing my experiences waiting for the pandemic to be over. I incorporated the Zoom logo, weaving in pieces of paper with my post-pandemic goals, and a "Cabin Fever" design.