Portfolio
This portfolio highlights some of my favorite and most challenging projects and papers created during my professional and undergraduate career. They illustrate the many ways in which my experience, education, and focus on gender have made me a better informed person.
Feminist Newswire Writer and Editor
While with the Feminist Majority Foundation (FMF) I organized, wrote, and edited the daily news posted on the FMF's Feminist Newswire.
I also wrote for the Feminist Majority's blog, writing opinion pieces, current event pieces, and articles on politics. This particular blog post was a joy to write, as the bravery and spirits of the women on this bicycling team inspired me.
While with the Feminist Majority Foundation (FMF) I organized, wrote, and edited the daily news posted on the FMF's Feminist Newswire.
I also wrote for the Feminist Majority's blog, writing opinion pieces, current event pieces, and articles on politics. This particular blog post was a joy to write, as the bravery and spirits of the women on this bicycling team inspired me.
To see all of the amazing things CSAGA is currently doing, visit their website at www.csaga.vn.org. Click the American flag in the corner to translate the webpage into english.
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Domestic Violence Awareness Project
During my semester abroad in 2012 in Vietnam I had the amazing opportunity to work as an intern for the Center for Applied Sciences in Gender (CSAGA). CSAGA is a non-profit, non-governmental organization dedicated to the implementation of the rights of women and children who are affected by violence and discrimination in Vietnam. During my internship I had the privilege of being a part of a number of projects, as well as creating and developing a project of my own, known as the "Domestic Violence Feeds on Silence" project. This project was aimed at raising awareness about the harmful effects of domestic violence through the use of posters. The poster campaign carried messages such as "Domestic Violence Feeds on Silence," and "Speak Up About Domestic Violence." I was in charge of recruitment, creative design, photography, and distribution. In total, 8 different styles and over 75 posters were printed and hung in the Hanoi Open University in Hanoi, Vietnam. This project allowed me to combine my passions for activism and the creative arts. |
Digital Content
In my various professional roles I have been tasked with creating infographics, share graphics, one-pagers, and other visual content. Most were created using Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, and other programs. For my complete digital portfolio, click here. |
Consent and Choice: Re-Thinking PIV Sex
Although the focus of my Women’s Studies major was Global Feminisms, I have always been drawn to feminist philosophy. During my undergraduate career I enrolled in two philosophy classes: Biomedical Ethics, and Philosophy and Feminism. In these classes I learned about the clean and precise nature of a philosophical argument, how to read and conceptualize dense arguments, and most importantly, how to think critically from another’s point of view, particularly one opposing your own. This has become an integral part of how I live my life, as I try to be open to all opinions and points of view I come across, allowing myself to fully hear and understand them before I decide where to situate my own beliefs.
This essay came about as the response to a series of articles online written by self-proclaimed radical feminists claiming that all PIV (penis-in-vagina) sex is rape. I disagreed with their argument, and felt that the best medium for my response was through writing a philosophical essay. I have used the essay for my personal blog as well as sent it to feminist journals and blogs. I feel that this essay highlights my passion and enthusiasm for action outside of the classroom. For me, it also represents my need to engage with the full spectrum of feminist ideologies.
Although the focus of my Women’s Studies major was Global Feminisms, I have always been drawn to feminist philosophy. During my undergraduate career I enrolled in two philosophy classes: Biomedical Ethics, and Philosophy and Feminism. In these classes I learned about the clean and precise nature of a philosophical argument, how to read and conceptualize dense arguments, and most importantly, how to think critically from another’s point of view, particularly one opposing your own. This has become an integral part of how I live my life, as I try to be open to all opinions and points of view I come across, allowing myself to fully hear and understand them before I decide where to situate my own beliefs.
This essay came about as the response to a series of articles online written by self-proclaimed radical feminists claiming that all PIV (penis-in-vagina) sex is rape. I disagreed with their argument, and felt that the best medium for my response was through writing a philosophical essay. I have used the essay for my personal blog as well as sent it to feminist journals and blogs. I feel that this essay highlights my passion and enthusiasm for action outside of the classroom. For me, it also represents my need to engage with the full spectrum of feminist ideologies.
This Not That: Using Photography to Examine Body Fragmentation
“This Not That” was a research-based project I completed for an independent study in sociology with Professor Jack Harris and Professor Jessica Hayes-Conroy my senior year for my undergraduate degree. The research project was inspired by four years of collected observations of living on a campus that is very body-conscious. When discussing the body with my peers I noticed a trend of fragmentation or compartmentalization in regard to overall acceptance. It was my observation that when referencing the body in the first person, it is difficult to talk about it as a whole. Instead we tend to talk about the body in fragments, often categorizing things we “like” or “dislike”.
Through 21 face-to-face interviews with college students, as well as through the use of photography, the “This Not That” project became a way for me to examine this phenomenon of body fragmentation, with the overall goal of body acceptance. Though my sample size was too small to lead to a decisive conclusion, I noticed a direct correlation between body fragmentation and body dissatisfaction. In other words, those who were able to talk and think about their bodies as a whole had better overall body confidence.
The conception, organization, and execution of this research project allowed me to put many of the skills I learned at Hobart and William Smith Colleges to use. As the primary researcher I became very familiar with processes like the Institutional Review Board, confidentiality laws, and effective time management.
“This Not That” was a research-based project I completed for an independent study in sociology with Professor Jack Harris and Professor Jessica Hayes-Conroy my senior year for my undergraduate degree. The research project was inspired by four years of collected observations of living on a campus that is very body-conscious. When discussing the body with my peers I noticed a trend of fragmentation or compartmentalization in regard to overall acceptance. It was my observation that when referencing the body in the first person, it is difficult to talk about it as a whole. Instead we tend to talk about the body in fragments, often categorizing things we “like” or “dislike”.
Through 21 face-to-face interviews with college students, as well as through the use of photography, the “This Not That” project became a way for me to examine this phenomenon of body fragmentation, with the overall goal of body acceptance. Though my sample size was too small to lead to a decisive conclusion, I noticed a direct correlation between body fragmentation and body dissatisfaction. In other words, those who were able to talk and think about their bodies as a whole had better overall body confidence.
The conception, organization, and execution of this research project allowed me to put many of the skills I learned at Hobart and William Smith Colleges to use. As the primary researcher I became very familiar with processes like the Institutional Review Board, confidentiality laws, and effective time management.
Scissors6
This Zine (a small, self-published magazine) was a labor of love brought about from a place of creative frustration, written with my peer Erica Randazzo. Scissors6 is an organic culmination of actions, art, and ideas with the intention of discussing the many successes and issues facing women on the Hobart and William Smith Colleges’ campus. We invoke ‘Scissors’ to embody a statue in front of the Warren Hunting Smith library, which is of a pair of scissors sticking into the ground precisely along the line that traditionally separated the men’s Hobart College and women’s William Smith College, effectively cutting the divide of traditional female and male-sanctioned spaces. The number 6 comes from the Colleges’ sixth educational goal: to “develop an intellectually grounded foundation for understanding differences and inequalities of gender, race and class”. The topics discussed in the Zine are varied and diverse, from an interrogation of the word “no”, to interviews with professors and staff, and are all aimed in the hopes of galvanizing conversation and positive change on the HWS campus. |