Gabriel Ephraim Kaplan Wall

Name:  Gabriel Ephraim Kaplan Wall

College: Porter 

Department: Anthropology/HAVC

What Award/ Scholarship did you receive? The Jeremy Demian Marx Award for Cultural Anthropology 

What year do you expect to graduate? Spring 2023 

Where do you call home? Oakland, California

With all of the choices for college, what made UC Santa Cruz stand out? Of course one of the main draws to UCSC is the stunning beauty of the Santa Cruz area. It was extremely important to me that Santa Cruz is a town that I can envision myself living in, and making my home. I had spoken with friends from high school who were already attending UCSC who spoke very highly of the professors/courses in the humanities fields which I was interested in, as well as the school in general. Another draw was proximity to home. Being from the Bay Area, I feel like I have my independence here, while simultaneously, I can return home and see my family in 2 hours, anytime I like. 

What is your field of focus? Although I have not fully decided on an extremely specific academic area to specialize in, I am very interested in the overlapping of my two majors (Anth and HAVC) in a more contemporary, pop-culture context. Whether this is the world of modern music, fashion, art, or cultural practices, I enjoy thinking critically about these aspects of our modern lives through academic theories to reveal their underlying functions and significance that we are often blind to in our daily lives. 

What do you hope to do once you graduate from UC Santa Cruz? Upon graduating, I hope to take a year to travel before I attend graduate school. As well as being a student, I work in downtown Santa Cruz as a bartender. This is a job that I feel like I can do almost anywhere in the world, and my plan is to live abroad for a year using my skills in the industry to work and support my travels. After that I hope to get a Master’s degree. I am also looking at programs abroad for my graduate studies. There is a Master’s program at the University of Amsterdam which I am particularly drawn to at this moment. Although I have not set my sights on a narrow career path yet, I am interested in working in a museum, research and writing, as well as potentially pursuing a career in the world of academia as a professor.

What is one memorable moment that stands out for you as a student here? While I have loved my time here, both academically and socially, the first days on campus my freshman year were particularly impactful, and I will never forget them. Moving out of my childhood home, the sense of anxiety and independence, and the experience of a brand new environment felt so fresh, and exciting. In particular, I loved the first few weeks in Porter dorms. Everyone was so friendly and social, attempting to make new friends. My end of the hall formed a large group of friends almost immediately. Porter felt like a real community and it all felt extremely natural and inclusive. I made many core memories, and met many people who I truly love, many of whom remain some of my closest friends almost 4 years later. Socializing with all of these fresh faces and forming lifelong bonds in the thrill and uncertainty of those first few months will stick with me forever. 

What is your one piece of advice for incoming students about life at UC Santa Cruz? Building off of my last answer, my advice is to really put yourself out there upon arriving to take advantage of this fresh start and new faces. I know the new environment can be scary, but you have to realize everyone else is in the exact same position. It is not just you who feel nervous and uncertain, I promise. Shake some hands, start some conversations; You never know which of your new peers could be a lifelong best friend. You WILL find your niche and settle in 

As far as academics go, try to take advantage of the resources offered to you. I often failed to utilize the support the school provides me. Schedule regular advising appointments, meet with your professors one on one outside of class. It took me a long time to fully appreciate that all of these people are here to help us, but it won’t happen unless we reach out. Making personal relationships with your professors in particular will make your academic experience so much richer, and open so many doors for you. 

How will this scholarship impact your academic life /research? 

My hope is to save this money and put it towards a research focused trip. Though my upcoming summer is extremely packed with my two jobs, and other plans already in place, I hope to begin planning to travel sometime in the next year in order to get an in person experience with some of the artwork, and cultures that I am interested in pursuing academically. For the Art Historical side of my studies, I am looking into options to travel to New Orleans to experience their rich cultural and artistic history, in particular the city’s profound influence on the music of the last century. I am also interested in a trip to Mexico City as to me it is a fascinating city to explore through an anthropological/cultural-historical lens.