In Their Words: Laura Wishart
Name: Laura Wishart
Department: Sociology and Politics
What Award/ Scholarship did you receive? The Walsh Family Scholarship
What year do you expect to graduate? 2018
College: Kresge
Where do you call home? My home and family are in Placerville, California, a small town between Sacramento and South Lake Tahoe. Santa Cruz has also been my home for the past four years.
With all of the choices for college, what made UC Santa Cruz stand out? Santa Cruz is a natural paradise. I was also very impressed by the radical thinkers that have passed through UCSC, such as Angela Davis, Huey P. Newton, and Bell Hooks.
What is your field of focus? Sociology and Politics are my two majors. My favorite courses have been on social theory, Marxism, and, socialist and anarchist thought.
What do you hope to do once you graduate from UC Santa Cruz? I plan on doing social justice work in the nonprofit sector and eventually going into policy or political work to affect progressive change
What is one memorable moment that stands out for you as a student here? Coordinating Take Back the Night for two years in a row as an intern at the UCSC Women’s Center has been very meaningful. It is very powerful to provide a space for survivors to tell their stories and find community and support.
What is your one piece of advice for incoming students about life at UC Santa Cruz? Seek out multiple sources of education, from talking to professors about their backgrounds to learning from student activists. Apply for internships and opportunities you’re interested in, even if you don’t think you're qualified or deserving enough.
How will this scholarship impact your academic life /research? This scholarship gives me a small amount of financial security to start my career with. I am also just very grateful for the kind recognition!
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