Graduation year: 2004
Majors/Minors: Anthropology & Gender Studies
Current occupation: Director of Development at St. Agnes of Bohemia Catholic Elementary School, Chicago, IL
Favorite Gender Studies class/professor/memory from your experience at Notre Dame:
Gender, Race, Class, and Sexuality in Music by Professor Paula Higgins.
Your experience with Gender Studies/gender issues at Notre Dame:
From the initial welcome I received when I approached the Gender Studies program to declare a new major to the presentation of my senior thesis, I could not have been more pleased with Notre Dame’s Gender Studies program. Given that gender studies was a rich source of practical applications of ideas to life at Notre Dame, it was a blessing to be engaged in a field of study where so many vibrant, heated, and yet respectful academic discussions took place.
How your Gender Studies education has impacted your life:
My Gender Studies education opened my eyes to the diversity of human experiences that we all encounter every day. Recognizing the range of expression of a concept that is so often taken for granted has allowed me to approach life with an eye for what rests underneath the surface of what we assume to be given. During my years attempting to inspire junior high students with a love of learning, I found many opportunities to use my Gender Studies background to hopefully more fully develop the hearts and minds of children whose gifts might otherwise have been overlooked.
Your hopes for the future of Gender Studies at Notre Dame:
I hope the Gender Studies department continues to grow in substance and in popularity. I would love to see the university fully embrace this wonderful collection of intellectuals advancing our knowledge of what it means to be fully human as an invaluable asset for understanding what it means to be good stewards of our divine gift of life. Also, knowing from personal experience how blessed I consider myself to have been able to learn from such strong and gifted women, I would love to see more men at Notre Dame join these women in the exploration of Gender Studies.