Why major in Gender, Women's, and Sexuality Studies? Current Gender, Women's, and Sexuality Studies students account for their decisions to major in GWSS as well as their future plans:
Anna Banker '15
My name is Anna Banker and I am a first year GWSS major from the outskirts of Boston, MA. I came to Grinnell to pursue my passions in the world of academia, assuming that I would need to wait at least a year to accurately identify these passions. However, after taking Professor Henry’s Introduction to GWSS course this past fall and supplementing the course with my own subsequent research and engagement, I have found a clear direction for my scholarship. The GWSS major fulfills my educational objectives because its subject matter and interdisciplinary nature both inspire and challenge me. I want to study GWSS because it challenges me to question everything I have been taught about gender and sexuality. GWSS provides me with the perfect academic framework through which I can cultivate a meaningful career of social engagement and activism. Most of all, though, I want to study GWSS because it inspires me each and every day to make a change in my own life, and after that, get out there and change the world.
Nidia Bautista ’12
When I first arrived at Grinnell, I knew that I wanted to major in Political Science, but as a Los Angelean who was used to being part of the majority in Southern California, I quickly felt out of place within other departments due to the overwhelming lack of students of color in my class’s discussion regarding issues relating to my community and background. After taking my first class in GWSS with Professor Lakesia Johnson, I knew I had found my niche at Grinnell. Although courses at Grinnell are generally dominated by white students, I felt safe within my GWSS classes because we delved into issues of gender, race, class and other intersecting identities that many of my other courses did not adequately address. I took Critical Race Feminism in the spring of my second year and I quickly fell in love with the analysis of the law and its relationship to marginalized groups. The focus on law and its everyday implications for disadvantaged groups within our society has always been a passion of mine and by taking CRF, I gained entrance into a field of study that complemented this personal passion. In addition, I intend to use all of the knowledge that my GWSS courses have taught me in my own research and in graduate school, which I will be applying to this semester in the field of Political Science. Although I do intend to attain a PhD in Political Science, this does not mean I will not integrate all of the analytical techniques I have gained in my GWSS courses; it is thanks to my GWSS academic training that I am able to better see the multiple ways individuals are systematically and historically oppressed by those in power and this insightful analysis will allow me to deliver academic work that addresses issues that traditional academia ignores.
Linda Beigel '14
I’ve always been a feminist, and so I was very excited to be able to take the Intro GWSS class with Professor Astrid Henry this semester. I love the field of GWSS even more than I expected I would--it is rich and varied, covering both fascinating theory and real and practical applications. I look forward to exploring it in the rest of my time here at Grinnell and for the rest of my life. I believe that my GWSS major, combined with a double major in French, will put me on the road towards effecting real and lasting change in the world. My current goal is to enter the field of social work after graduation and help to fight against the interlocking forces of oppression that can cause so much pain to young women.
Allis Conley ‘14
As a feminist who grew up in conservative Nebraska without a like-minded community, Grinnell’s long tradition of social justice and its blossoming Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies program was extremely appealing to me. I immediately fell in love with the department, and by the end of my first year, I declared with Professor Astrid Henry and became the class of 2014’s first GWSS major. Although there isn’t a facet of the subject I don’t like, my Nebraskan roots have made me especially passionate about reproductive justice and red state activism. I am also interested in the media, its portrayal of gender, and the ways it shapes adolescence and body image. I hope my studies with the GWSS department will lead me to work in grass-roots activism and continue Grinnell’s legacy of passionate social involvement.
Javon Garcia ‘14
I’m Javon Garcia, a second year from Laurel, Maryland. I will be declaring a major in Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies. I have chosen to declare a major in GWSS because coming into Grinnell, I was very ashamed of my sexuality and thought that I had something wrong with me. After taking Intro to GWSS with Professor Astrid Henry and learning about LBGTQ Studies and Queer Theory, I came to realize that there is absolutely nothing wrong with me. Through my GWSS classes I gained insight into sexuality and gender and how they’re both constructed through societal standards. GWSS has helped spark my immense passion for LBGTQ Studies and Feminist Theory and now I can truly say that I am proud of my sexuality. I aspire to use my GWSS skills in law school after Grinnell; I want to become a Human Rights Lawyer focused on LBGTQ Rights. In my freetime, I write a blog on masculinity studies, which you should check out!
Joe Hiller ‘12
My name is Joe Hiller. I'm a senior GWSS major from central Pennsylvania—in a phrase, I'm a small town kid from Amish country and a general malcontent. Though I came to Grinnell with strong political convictions, my understanding of "social justice" has developed profoundly over the past few years, and GWSS has been central to that process. Indeed, one could say that GWSS chose me and not the other way around. Even as they have required that I reevaluate and complicate almost everything I have come to know, my courses in GWSS have strengthened my feminism and my ethical commitments to plurality and equity. They have been transformative in the best possible way. As I move into my post-undergrad life, I am certain that the lessons I have learned as a student of GWSS will continue to inform my attempts to engage, critically, with our social world.
Isaiah Iboko '12
I chose to major in GWSS for the opportunity to apply interdisciplinary analyses to issues of race, gender, class, and sexuality. Since then, it has allowed me to delve deeper into coursework and theories from African-American Studies, Gender Studies, Cultural Studies, Anthropology, Sociology and History. Courses in all of these areas, taken both at Grinnell and abroad at the University of Amsterdam, have contributed to my learning and taught me to answer questions for papers and research in a way that integrates divergent types of knowledge. This interdisciplinary background has allowed me to prepare for grad school and an academic career in Ethnic Studies. During my second year, my studies evolved into research projects conducted through the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program at Grinnell and the Summer Research Opportunity Program at the University of Iowa. The next summer, after studying media and cultural studies in Amsterdam, I was able to explore another research project at UCLA. These opportunities, made possible by my GWSS major, have prepared me to apply confidently to Ethnic and American Studies Ph.D. programs, and have laid the foundation for my graduate and academic career in the years to come.
Izzy Leo '14
Hello! My name is Izzy and I’m a second year Anthropology and Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies double major from Northampton, Massachusetts. Coming to Grinnell, I knew I wanted to major in anthropology because I’ve always been interested in all four sub-fields of the discipline. I hadn’t considered GWSS as a major until I decided to take Intro with Lakesia Johnson. That class has made me examine how my personal history has influenced my decisions. I was raised by a Puerto Rican, Syrian, Irish, and Scottish feminist mother from NYC and pro-feminist father from Wilhelmshaven, Germany. My parents instilled in me a passion for political activism and general agitation, which eventually led me to take a class on the Holocaust in high school. I found that Holocaust and genocide studies was something I was really passionate about and would like to pursue a graduate degree in at some point. I’m particularly intrigued by how these conflicts affect women and the role gender plays in how genocides are perpetrated. GWSS and Anthropology will give me the tools I need to better understand Holocaust and Genocide Studies.
Christian Loggins'12
My major in Gender, Women's, and Sexuality Studies was a surprise in that I had originally intended to double major in other disciplines. However, it wasn't until I got deeper into gender studies coursework that I realized that I had found my passion. Never before had anything clicked in my head so easily before. Gender studies takes my love of literature and culture and gives me a critical lens to analyze it with. GWSS combines elements of English, philosophy, art, film, social studies, and anthropology--truly living up to its interdisciplinary repulation. This allowed for flexibility in how I chose classes, allowing me to mold my own major based on what I was interested in. With my major I want to go to into graduate school for either Gender or Media studies.
Clara Montague ‘13
I am a third-year GWSS/English double-major from Skokie, IL. In addition to my academic work, I am involved in the GWSS department by being a co-chair of the GWSS Student Educational Planning Committee (SEPC) and working as a Writing Fellow in Professor Henry’s Intro to GWSS class. I’m also a co-leader of the Feminist Action Coalition (FAC), work at the Career Development Office, and teach American literature classes with the Liberal Arts in Prison Program. Over the summer I took part in the Queer/Feminist Television Studies MAP, focusing on Glee. I decided to be a GWSS major after taking Theory and Methods in GWSS with Prof. Henry because I really love the way that GWSS always challenges me personally and intellectually. This spring I will be studying abroad in Madurai, India. After graduation, I think I’d like to complete a few years of service work before going to graduate school. Someday, I hope to find myself teaching GWSS and/or English classes.
Scott Olsen '15
When I was deciding between different colleges, one of Grinnell's biggest selling points for me was its Gender, Women's and Sexuality Studies program. Most of the places I had applied had programs called "Women's Studies" or "Feminist Studies," but Grinnell was among the few that had a program which in its title encompassed sexuality and gender. This to me was important because as a founder of a Gay-Straight Alliance at my high school, I have invested a lot of time into LGBT and Queer activism, and a great deal of my own passion surrounds sexuality and gender. It was important to me that my course of study not limit itself to only women's inequality. What I experienced in Intro to GWSS with Professor Astrid Henry was nothing short of having my entire perception of the world in which I live turned on its head. From the concepts discussed in Intro alone I have gained more tools for understanding and working against inequality than I could have imagined. From an LGBT and queer activist's perspective, this sets GWSS above everything else offered at Grinnell.
Najma Osman ‘12
Hello! My name is Najma and I'm a senior GWSS student from St. Paul, Minnesota. I have always been interested in issues of gender and sexuality, especially in the transnational context. My sophomore year I studied in Cambodia during the winter recess and did research on sex trafficking that I later presented at a student conference on campus. After that, I knew that GWSS was a passion of mine, and I continued to take courses in the department. What I like most about GWSS is the interdisciplinary nature of the program, which means I can explore diverse classes with topics from religious studies to LGBTQ studies at Grinnell. People often ask me what I plan to do with my GWSS major and Global Development Studies concentration after Grinnell, and one thing I always point to is the critical thinking skills that I have acquired that will allow me to succeed in any career path. The best thing about GWSS however, is that I have been able to harness my passion for many deeply personal issues into an academic context. GWSS classes are also always filled with wonderful and open-minded people that create a nurturing and enjoyable learning environment!
Aurora Quinn-Elmore ‘12
My name is Aurora Quinn-Elmore and I'm a member of the class of 2012. I'm a double major in Political Science and Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies. In the last year or so, my academic interests have shifted from American politics to more of a focus on development, international political economy, the environment, and human rights. I have been very grateful that Grinnell's flexible majors have allowed me to complete my double major while pursuing these shifting academic interests. After graduation I hope to pursue a career in consulting and eventually perhaps attend business school for a degree focused on ways that businesses can be more social or environmentally responsible. My GWSS major has taught me that there are many paths one can take to effect positive change.
Laura Stamm ‘12
I'm Laura Stamm, a member of the class of 2012 and it's hard to say how exactly I chose a GWSS major for I certainly did not enter college with that intention. The interdisciplinary nature of the program works well for me; I realized at the end of my second year that the diverse schedule of courses I was taking lent itself well to the GWSS major. Being a major has allowed me to take a variety of courses that encompass my interests in what can be described as cultural studies (primarily composed of film studies, literary theory, and feminist/queer theory). I plan to continue my studies in these areas in graduate school, where I intend to pursue a Ph.D. in a visual cultures program to achieve my ultimate goal: a career in academia.
