“I am a naturally curious person, so I was elated to find an academic home that let me investigate and learn about so many topics from so many different perspectives. The American prison system, 1970s disco, Hamilton – these subjects weren’t pigeon-holed into a singular disciplinary perspective. Rather, I learned in a way that was more robust, and that wrestled with history and politics and gender studies and sociology, in an attempt to capture the complexity of things that exist in a complex world. My American Studies classes were also immediately relevant to my life. They helped me make sense of my experiences growing up and living in the U.S., as well as the experiences of others throughout the U.S. and the Americas. Plus, I got to spend an entire semester researching Stranger Things for my capstone project – where else can you do that?”