Archive | Student Spotlights

GUN VIOLENCE RESEARCH

By thomaspr on October 31, 2024 in Scholarships & Awards, Student Spotlights

Vice President Kamala Harris and Dani Faulhaber. Image provided.

GUN VIOLENCE RESEARCH

KETNER EMERGING LEADER SCHOLAR’S ACTIVISM AT COFC

WRITTEN BY DANI FAULHABER (she/her), KETNER EMERGING LEADERS SCHOLAR

No student should have to sit in their classroom and plan out what they would do when a gunman walks through the door. Unfortunately, this is an all-too-common reality for students in America, which is why I indulged in gun violence prevention research and started building a community where students on the College’s campus can come together to discuss the realities of gun violence and what we can do to end it.

I spent my first two years on campus working through the Honors College on reviving Students Demand Action at the College of Charleston. I also conducted research on South Carolina’s legislature regarding guns and how it compares to legislative practices recommended by Everytown for Gun Safety and practiced in other countries where guns are not the number one killer of children and teens.

Finally, in my third year at the College, my peers and I were able to activate the organization on campus and start building the community I need as someone who has been personally affected by gun violence.

Because of my involvement with Students Demand Action, I got to attend Kamala Harris’s Fight for Our Freedoms tour here in Charleston and shake her hand. At the same time, she told me to “stay strong,” something easier said than done when fighting to end gun violence.

I’ve met and worked with students from all over the nation fighting for the same goal I am, and this process has opened opportunities I never thought I would get to experience. Please register to vote and vote for gun-sense candidates. We have more power than we think when it comes to a brighter future.

WGS Connect Summer 2024 Magazine

By thomaspr on October 3, 2024 in Announcements, Feminism in Motion, Land Body History Series, Student Spotlights, WGS Faculty & Affiliated Faculty, WGS in the Community

WGS is excited to share the Summer 2024 issue of WGS Connect magazine! The first ever magazine edition of our newsletter offers highlights from the Land, Body, History series, student research and art/poetry, and updates from alums.

We hope you enjoy this issue! WGS is already outlining the next magazine, and we cannot wait to share the next iteration of WGS Connect! In the meantime, be sure to check this blog site and our social media to keep up-to-date on Women’s and Gender Studies’ current events and spotlights.

WGS would also love to hear from you! Always feel free to reach out with ideas for the blog or magazine. We embrace all things collaboratively produced and will continue to embody that philosophy in all that we do.

Use the button below to view this special digital PDF, complete with embedded links and lots of great info on WGS students, faculty, events, and more.

WGS Connect Summer 2024

Student Spotlight: Mo Spragins

By thomaspr on February 22, 2024 in Student Spotlights

What is your hometown, your pronouns, and your major(s)/minor(s)?

I was born and raised in Raleigh, NC. Both of my parents met at NC State University and settled in Raleigh. My pronouns are She/They. Currently I am a double major! Women’s and Gender Studies (BA) is one of them and the other is Biology (BA).

What areas/aspects of women’s and gender studies (WGS) do you find most engaging/interesting/what are you most passionate about?

I find everything under the Women’s and Gender Studies program here fascinating. If I had to pick one topic, it would be Black feminism. I am currently reading “This Bridge Called My Back” and I feel that I have learned so much about the history of the feminist movement, which has not always supported or upheld all women, specifically Black women and people of color. The feminist movement historically has focused on a lot of white women’s wants and needs without acknowledging their innate privilege of being white — without taking a step back for Black women to take the stage.

Tell us about any extracurricular work that you’re doing (ex. volunteering/local activism), or any involvement you have on campus with clubs/organizations.

Currently on campus, I am pursuing conducting research with Dr. Arroyo over the summer and possibly another opportunity with my mentor on campus.

I am also a student worker at the Pride Center on 9 1/2 Glebe Street. At the Pride Center, I am the Q’rdinator of the Honors Engaged program that is partnered with the center and Honors College. I supervise student tasks, their volunteer hours, and events that the Pride Center hosts for the Queer community (although not exclusively if any others want to participate!). Along with that, I help Dr. Simmons with the Out To Lead program.

Outside of campus, I am a volunteer at MUSC’s Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital and recently reached my goal of 100 volunteer hours. I am continuing my volunteer work there until I can secure a position as a patient care technician.

What impact have WGS courses had on you? and/or: Why should every CofC student take a WGS class before they graduate?

The WGST courses on campus have had such a huge impact on my life. My first class was Introduction to Women’s and Gender Studies taught by Dr. Dominguez. The least I can say about that course was how eye-opening things became for me during and afterward. When I came to campus my first year, I was strictly a Biology BS major and was headed on a narrow pre-health tract. I attended a majors/minors fair that was held by the Honors College, which is when Dr. Dominguez and I first met. Dr. Dominguez understood that I want to be the kind of physician who listens to others and their needs; not excluding their past experiences and story. I want to look at things through an intersectional lens, and the field of Women’s and Gender Studies helps me to do so. I have met so many wonderful people along the way who have been so supportive of me. Lastly, Dr. Dominguez helped foster such a safe community in the classroom in which we could make mistakes and learn from one another. This gave me the confidence to come out as Queer, and I couldn’t be any more grateful. Truly. Thank you Dr. D.

What are your plans and goals after graduation?

Even though graduation is still a ways away from me, I have always had a passion for working with children, and I hope to do so as a pediatrician. More specifically as a physician assistant (PA) specializing in pediatrics.

I plan to apply to a few graduate PA programs, one at MUSC and one at UNC Chapel Hill.

Ultimately I hope to find calm in all of the chaos that is life and keep my center — my core values and defining memories — tightly against me. Hopefully, somewhere in there I get married and have a few kids of my own, but I can wait on that bit for now.

2023 HSS Scholar: Taylor McElwain

By thomaspr on May 16, 2023 in Student Spotlights

WGS is excited to share our HSS Scholars! ? Our other scholar is Taylor McElwain!

The School of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) Scholars Awards Ceremony is an annual event that celebrates the top two students in each of the 11 undergraduate major programs within HSS. Faculty, students, family and friends gather to celebrate our scholars – students who’ve achieved an exemplary academic performance during their time at the College of Charleston.

From Taylor:

Educational Highlights: During my time at the College, I was awarded the Outstanding First Year Writing Award for my essay on Iraqi refugees in Mosul. My most significant projects include research papers examining the differences in the use of sexual violence by militant groups, the implications of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda’s ruling that rape is a weapon of genocide, and how former colonial powers have enabled genocides in order to protect their economic interests. I’ve served as an intern for the nonprofits Enough Pie and the Charleston Climate Coalition as well as working as a research intern with the Johannesburg Holocaust and Genocide Centre. Most recently, I worked as a refugee resettlement intern with Lutheran Services Carolinas. My poetry has been featured in the College’s literary magazine, Miscellany.

Research Focus: My research focuses include the use of sexual and gender-based violence as a weapon during times of conflict and genocide, as well as a focus on the field of genocide studies, with emphasis on the Biafran genocide, the Rwandan genocide, and the Holocaust.

Future Plans: I plan to work in victim advocacy and women’s empowerment. I’ve been looking at jobs in Ukraine that would allow me to use both my Russian and my expertise on issues of gendered violence.

2023 HSS Scholar: Sarai Vazquez

By thomaspr on May 16, 2023 in Student Spotlights

WGS is excited to share our HSS Scholars! ? Our first scholar is Sarai Vazquez!

From Sarai:
Educational Highlights: When starting at the College of Charleston, I had no idea I would end up majoring in Women’s & Gender Studies. Though I didn’t declare my major until my junior year, it has since allowed me to understand my identity as well as the wisdom I will bring to the table as I navigate the world after graduation. At CofC, I have volunteered at the “”Yes! I’m a Feminist”” event and been a member of the Hispanic Latino Club. The wonderful community of WGS has both challenged me and encouraged me to view the world with an interdisciplinary perspective.

Research Focus: I have had the opportunity to complete an internship through Tri-County SPEAKS, a sexual assault advocacy and resource center. As an outreach intern, I was part of the team leading the Bar Outreach Project. Our mission was to educate and introduce training to the personnel of many Charleston bars on sexual assault and its prominence within the bar atmosphere. I have also served as a volunteer advocate accompanying survivors at MUSC for exams and working the 24HR hotline.
This internship has confirmed my passion to advocate for intersectional healthcare and to serve the disadvantaged.

Future Plans: My goal after graduating from the College of Charleston is to continue pursuing outreach and nonprofit work that will cultivate change around me and prioritize those in need. As an educated Latina, I have the purpose to disrupt and inspire, and I intend to do just that after graduation.”

Student Spotlight: Sara Solan

By thomaspr on February 8, 2023 in Student Spotlights

What is your hometown, your pronouns, and your major(s)/minor(s)?

My hometown is Franklin, TN. I use She/Her pronouns. My major is International Studies.

What areas/aspects of gender activism and/or advocacy for women and girls you find most engaging/interesting/what you’re most passionate about?

I am most passionate about advocating internationally for women’s and girls’ rights; I am specifically interested in education. Malala Yousafzai has been one of my biggest inspirations for years.

Tell us about any extracurricular work you’re doing (ex. volunteering/local activism), or any involvement you have on campus with clubs/organizations.

I am the Founder and President of Cougar Refugee Alliance (CRA). I started this club at the College of Charleston in Spring 2022 because I saw the need to support Afghan refugees arriving in Charleston. I had worked with refugees back home in Nashville, and I knew how vital our help was in helping them transition to self-sufficiency in the United States. We have worked with Lutheran Services Carolina, our area resettlement agency, to assist over 80 Afghan refugees who have arrived in the area. In our first semester we grew rapidly to 75 members. CRA held a fundraiser, a school supply drive, and helped to coordinate and staff childcare during a Cultural Orientation for all recently resettled refugees. Our advocacy will continue as refugees from various parts of the world will be resettling in the Charleston area.

I also serve as a student representative of the College’s Task Force on Refugee Resettlement. This campus wide collaboration arose from some of my initial discussions with Dr. De Welde about what I wanted to do for my activism project as a Ketner Emerging Leader. Comprised of faculty and staff from across the College and student representatives, this taskforce focuses on coordinating campus involvement in local refugee resettlement efforts such as by establishing “Circles of Welcome” for families. I help to lead and coordinate student involvement with task force initiatives, and am a student liaison with Lutheran Services Carolina.

I am also a Charleston Fellow and an International Scholar, active in the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, Charleston Hillel, and the Chaarg Fitness Club.

What does being a Ketner scholar mean to you?

Being a Ketner Scholar means actively working to create change in the local community to promote acceptance. I think it means to have courage to step up and advocate for those who do not have the same privileges that I do as a white American woman with the ability to attend college. It means going out into the community and making a hands-on impact.

What are your plans and goals after graduation?

After college, my goal is to work for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees or for a refugee resettlement agency. I hope to apply what I learn from the International Studies program to work on policy change to make refugee resettlement a more efficient and effective process.

Student Spotlight: Patrick Meyer

By thomaspr on July 18, 2022 in Student Spotlights

One of our very favorite things to do is highlight students and their accomplishments! Be sure to check WGS’ Instagram and blog, WGS Connect throughout the semester for more “spotlights.“

Below you can read more about Patrick Meyer, who received funding through the WGS Student Opportunities Fund to pursue a summer undergraduate research opportunity with Duke University in 2021!

Patrick Meyer (He/They)

Psychology/WGS ’22

Q. Tell us about the opportunity you had last summer.

I was a 2021 summer research assistant in the Identity and Diversity Lab at Duke University. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the experience was entirely virtual. My primary project over the summer involved developing a theoretical framework to deconstruct harmful masculine norms while fostering authentic identity development in boys and men. This project will hopefully result in a published article in a prominent psychology or gender studies journal!

Q. How did the project influence your understandings of what you had been learning through your coursework in WGS?

This experience deepened so much of the knowledge base I was already cultivating in my WGS classes. Throughout the summer I was able to learn about how systems and individuals uphold and police gender norms, and how this can be particularly distressing for individuals who may not conform to these rigid norms. Sacrificing authenticity for the comfort of conformity demonstrates how patriarchal structures actually end up harming men as well! With the intersectional lens the WGS program has provided me, I also examined how gendered pressure interacts with other axes of power and inequity.

Q. What was the best aspect of this experience?

The most beneficial aspect of this experience was that I was able to foster a connection between my major discipline, psychology, and WGS. The interdisciplinary nature of WGS is one of the things that drew me to the minor and this project showed me how feminist activism and gender equity movements are enhanced by the presence of individuals from diverse backgrounds. In order to deconstruct harmful masculinity norms, it will require the work of educators, mental health professionals, policymakers, and more!

Q. How did the ability to engage in this opportunity influence your next steps and future career goals?

This opportunity allowed me to gain substantial research experience that solidified and expanded my interests in psychology and WGS. I am currently in the process of applying to doctoral programs in counseling psychology, and I am confident that this summer experience will shape so much of my approach to research and practice! The dual-level approach of our framework, deconstructing norms while fostering authenticity, really resonated with me and I hope to become a social change agent that promotes wellness among individuals and across systems.

Student Spotlight: Lauren Graham

By thomaspr on April 21, 2022 in Student Spotlights

We asked Lauren to answer the following questions:

What is your hometown, your pronouns, and your major(s)/minor(s)?
What areas/aspects of activism (gender, women, children, etc.) and/or social justice do you find most engaging/interesting, and why?
Tell us about any extracurricular work you’re doing (ex. volunteering/local activism), or any involvement you have on campus with clubs/organizations.
What impact have your WGS courses had on you? and/or: Why should every CofC student take a WGS class before they graduate?
What does being an Alison Piepmeier scholar mean to you?
What are your plans and goals after graduation?

Lauren’s Answers:

Lauren Kendall Graham (she/her/hers)
● Honors College Class of 2023
● Major: Biochemistry
● Minor: Women and Gender Studies
● Hometown: Citronelle, Alabama

This summer, I received a SURF grant to co-author and help conduct the “Do You Want a Period?” campaign. This project was created to gather data concerning women’s knowledge concerning contraceptives. So many women are unaware that the withdrawal bleeding that happens at the end of the birth control pill cycle is unnecessary. Contraceptives can change a woman’s period or can sometimes prevent her from having one at all. This study consisted of an interview that determined the extent of the interviewee’s familiarity with contraceptives as well as what would appeal best to them in a campaign. My main role was to recruit and interview participants, as well as co-author sections of the manuscript. This research is important to me as I plan on pursuing a career in women’s health. I am currently majoring in Biochemistry with a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies. I hope to attend medical school and, after my residency, practice within the field of women’s health. I am extremely interested in the current issues that are relevant to women’s health in the United States and further globally. I feel that my research with the Women’s Health Research Team is helping me to prepare for issues and phenomena that I will definitely encounter throughout my career. I feel that there is a stigma surrounding women’s health issues. People my age feel uncomfortable when I bring up issues or current legislation that concern women’s health or reproductive rights. I feel that my work on these projects helps me to communicate better with my peers, most of whom are women, that our health issues and complications are normal topics and that we should not be embarrassed to discuss them. The more I study women’s health, the more work I find that needs to be done. Most women do not understand contraceptives or know about the multitude of options that are available regarding their reproductive health. I want my generation to become informed and empowered about their freedom and options concerning their sexual health. I am most interested in reproductive justice because when I was in high school in Alabama, I watched my state supreme court take away my reproductive rights to my own body. I was an active member of the Women’s Health Research Team from Fall 2020-Fall 2021. In the Fall of 2021, I left Charleston to do an exchange semester in Aalen, Germany where I conducted research. I am a proud member of Alpha Delta Pi ,and I currently serve as the Vice President of Administration for the Panhellenic Council. WGS has allowed me to take courses that discuss issues in our society regarding women’s health. I have also learned so much about families in my current sociology class. Being an Alison Piepmeier is such an honor. Alison Piepmeier was an active feminist who is so inspirational to me. I hope I am honoring her legacy with the work I am doing.

Student Spotlight: Denver Tanner

By thomaspr on March 29, 2022 in Student Spotlights

What is your hometown, your pronouns, and your major(s)/minor(s)?

My home town is Inman, South Carolina, a small mountain town on the outskirts of Spartanburg, SC. My major is political science with a concentration in Philosophy, Politics, and the law. My minors are Women’s and Gender Studies and Studio Art.

What areas/aspects of gender activism and/or social justice do you find most engaging/interesting, and why?

I find LGBTQIA+ issues most engaging to me when it comes to gender activism and social justice due to my identity as a non-binary lesbian. This aspect of my identity is very important to me because I spent the first twenty-one years of my life in the closet. Now that I have a supportive community, a self-love mentality that enabled me to be out, I want to support those who continue to struggle with this aspect of their lives.

Tell us about any extracurricular work you’re doing (ex. volunteering/local activism), or any involvement you have on campus with clubs/organizations.

I am involved in many extra circular activities. I currently work for the REACH department at the College of Charleston as their student assistant and academic tutor. I’ve worked in these roles for approximately four years. I also work part-time at Cru Catering as a banquet server. I am involved in multiple scholarship programs including HSS LEAP, Ketner-Crunelle Scholar, and the Phi Eta Sigma honor society. Last semester I was the vice president for the pre-law society at CofC. I am also starting my Master’s degree in Public Administration this semester. In fall 2019, I traveled to Trujillo, Spain for a faculty-led study abroad trip.

What impact have your WGS courses had on you? and/or: Why should every CofC student take a WGS class before they graduate?

My first experience with a WGS course was as a tutor for the REACH program in spring 2020. I was tutoring a student in an introduction to WGS course. I actually took the same course last semester for a minor requirement and my professor used the same textbook. This introduction to the program was one of my first college experiences in intersectionality, equity, and greatly aided in my pathway to accepting myself as a member of the LGBT community. My second experience with a WGS course was in Trujillo, Spain with Dr. Kendra Stewart. She taught a comparison course about the lives of women in America and Spain. This class is what inspired me to make WGS one of my minors.

What does being a Ketner-Crunelle scholar mean to you?

Being a Ketner-Crunelle scholar means I get to fulfill one of my childhood dreams – being supported by, while simultaneously, uplifting the local LGBTQIA+ community. It means so much to me to be out and proud and to help those in my CofC community, and the greater Charleston community, celebrate their identities in a safe space.

What are your plans and goals after graduation?

After I graduate with my bachelor’s degree in Political Science, I will continue my education at the College of Charleston by getting my Master’s in Public Administration. I will continue volunteering with a local LGBTQIA+ activism organization. I am currently looking for full-time, salary-based employment at the College of Charleston.

Student Spotlight: Marissa Haynes

By thomaspr on March 23, 2022 in Student Spotlights

What is your hometown, your pronouns, and your major(s)/minor(s)?

My name is Marissa Haynes, and my pronouns are she/her. I grew up in a suburb outside of Philadelphia called Newtown, Pennsylvania. At The College, I am a Sociology and Women’s and Gender Studies double major and a Spanish minor.

What areas/aspects of gender activism and/or advocacy for women and girls you find most engaging/interesting/what you’re most passionate about?

Sexual assault awareness is an area of gender activism that I have found myself engaging with most in recent years. The empowerment of women and queer peoples has become a part of my calling. Self defense, for example, is about way more than just learning how to defend yourself physically. It is about challenging a culture that has normalized the constant violation and antagonism of the bodies of women and LGBTQIA+ folx. Another area of advocacy that I am passionate about is the protection and education of children, specifically children from families of a low socioeconomic status and/or who experience marginalization. Children are arguably the most vulnerable members of our society, and as such deserve better than to have decisions made on their behalf that do not prioritize their safety and well-being.

Tell us about any extracurricular work you’re doing (ex. volunteering/local activism), or any involvement you have on campus with clubs/organizations.

One of my favorite things that I get to do is being the teaching assistant for the Jiu Jitsu for Self Defense class at the College. In this class, we teach students how to defend themselves using the art of Brazilian jiu jitsu, which is a martial art that emphasizes the use of leverage and physics to overcome an opponent instead of brute force or striking. As the teacher’s assistant, I am able to incorporate Feminist theory into each lesson in order to combat rape culture and empower our students emotionally and mentally, as well as physically. I am also currently interning with an organization called Sociologists for Women in Society (SWS) to help them upstart a national podcast called “Feminist Intersections.” As another part of this internship, I am currently working to launch a Women’s and Gender Studies podcast here at The College through which we hope generate important feminist conversations by highlighting the members of our WGS community here in Charleston who are doing important activist work and encouraging those in our community who want to know what they could do to help.

What impact did your WGS course have on you? and/or: Why should every CofC student take a WGS class before they graduate?

My academic career in WGS has pushed me to ask and begin to answer difficult questions about the functionality of society as we know it and my role in it. I truly believe in the power of a WGS education to make students not only productive members of society but constructive ones: instilling in students the tools to approach the real world issues that they will inevitably face post-grad and to make effective change in the world around them.

What does being a Ketner scholar mean to you?

It has been an absolute honor to be named a Ketner scholar. This scholarship has simultaneously fostered my passion for activism and provided me with the space and resources to step outside of my comfort zone to advance my potential for changemaking. It has meant the world to me to receive the support that this scholarship has offered me, and it will act as a jumping off point for all of my future activism and professional endeavors.

What are your plans and goals after graduation?

After graduation, I have goals to use my majors and minor to enter the social services and fight for those too often forgotten in the heightened political, economic, and social discussions throughout our country and the world: children. Specifically, I want to put my efforts into improving the child welfare system in ways that will provide better support and more effective systems that prioritize keeping families together in order to proactively and sustainably assist children in need. I’d like to someday earn a PhD in Sociology, and later in life, I hope to return to academia as a professor and mentor.

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