Elina Juvonen

Name: Elina Juvonen

College: Stevenson

Department: Anthropology, History (double major)

What Award/ Scholarship did you receive? The Dean’s Undergraduate Award

What year do you expect to graduate? Spring 2023

Where do you call home? Berkeley, California

With all of the choices for college, what made UC Santa Cruz stand out? I was undecided on my major when I began college, but I liked that there were opportunities for students to participate in research at UCSC. And I fell in love with the beautiful campus!

What is your field of focus? I’m a double major in history and anthropology, and I'm especially interested in women’s history. The combination of majors has allowed me to expand the ways that I approach my research.

What do you hope to do once you graduate from UC Santa Cruz? After graduation this summer, I’ll be interning at the San Francisco Planning Department and doing historical research. I’m also hoping to travel and take a break from school before eventually applying to graduate school.

What is one memorable moment that stands out for you as a student here? This isn’t one particular moment, but I’m grateful for the support I’ve received from the faculty in my independent research. When I started college I don’t think I could have imagined writing a thesis or doing independent research, and I’ve only been able to do it because of the incredibly supportive and smart professors I’ve had.

What is your one piece of advice for incoming students about life at UC Santa Cruz? My main piece of advice is to be open to all kinds of experiences and opportunities. Academically speaking, there are a lot of opportunities for undergraduates to participate in research on campus and to gain the kinds of skills they want to develop. And there’s always new people to meet and interesting organizations to join.

How will this scholarship impact your academic life /research? It’s incredibly validating to receive the dean’s award for my thesis project! It gives me confidence that I have something valuable to add to the field.