Current students in Ethnic & Gender Studies (EGS) express the value of their program in their own words! Recorded in Fall 2024 by program intern Esther MacDonald, who is among our first graduating seniors in the major (May 2025). All quotations used with permission.
“These fields encourage students to confront their own biases and engage in difficult conversations about race and gender, which can be transformative.”
-- Victoria Iskra (English Adolescence Education BA/MA and EGS double major and Honors program student)
“Students in Ethnic and Gender Studies often find a sense of belonging and solidarity with their peers, which helps them navigate academic and personal challenges.”
-- Summer Chabot (EGS major)
“In today’s workplace, employers want graduates who are culturally literate, adaptable, and can handle complex issues around diversity.”
-- Owen Wagner (EGS major and Honors program student)
“Gender and Ethnic Studies graduates are prepared for careers in social justice, community organizing, and even corporate social responsibility.”
-- Mason Fuller (Social Studies Adolescence Education/EGS double major)
“Faculty in these fields often push for new ideas and methodologies that reflect current social movements and global shifts in understanding race and gender.”
-- Emily Stoll (EGS/English Adolescence Education BA/MA and Honors program student)
“Ethnic and Gender Studies offer students a more holistic view of the world by combining multiple disciplinary lenses.”
-- Emily Stoll (English Adolescence Education BA/MA and EGS double major and Honors program student)
“These disciplines provide students with the tools to understand their own cultural backgrounds and identities in relation to others.”
-- Arianna Maglione (EGS major)
“These fields provide a global lens through which we can examine the effects of imperialism, globalization, and migration.”
-- Jacob Duran (Latinx Studies minor)
“There’s a misconception that these programs are biased or not academically rigorous, but in reality, they prepare students to think critically about the structures that shape our world.”
-- Victoria Iskra (English Adolescence Education BA/MA and EGS double major and Honors program student)
“Students are empowered to question and challenge systems of oppression, which is the basis of any meaningful social justice movement.”
-- Emily Stoll (English Adolescence Education BA/MA and EGS double major and Honors program student)
“Through exposure to diverse perspectives, students become better equipped to confront prejudice in their communities and workplaces.”
-- Arianna Maglione (EGS major)
“Intersectionality is key. It’s not enough to study race without understanding how gender or class influences the experience of oppression.”
-- Summer Chabot (EGS major)
“These fields help us understand not just who we are, but how historical contexts shape our everyday lives.”
-- Mason Fuller (Social Studies Adolescence Education/EGS double major)