Name: McKenzie Gannon

College: Merrill

Department: Anthropology/Creative Writing

What Award/ Scholarship did you receive? The Walsh family scholarship.

What year do you expect to graduate? 2021

Where do you call home? La Paz, Mexico

With all of the choices for college, what made UC Santa Cruz stand out? Professors availability to engage with students.

What is your field of focus? Ethnographic writing through a creative lens.

What do you hope to do once you graduate from UC Santa Cruz? I hope to start a nonprofit that helps women and children.

What is one memorable moment that stands out for you as a student here? I was in a ‘Decolonizing Methodologies’ class and students were asked to discuss their experiences with the structures of colonization. A class room full of diverse individuals spoke about their intimate experiences and allowed me to realize on such a fundamental level how incredible humans are.

What is your one piece of advice for incoming students about life at UC Santa Cruz? Read all the flyers, apply for everything that sparks your passion, go to all the hosted events and speakers series, take advantage of everything the school offers.

How will this scholarship impact your academic life /research? I will be greatly affected by this scholarship in ways that I can focus more on my projects and less on working the jobs that don’t add to my purpose.