2019年毕业生故事:伊莎贝尔·沃茨

伊莎贝尔·瓦特圣. galaxy银河娱乐场app education and experience was transformative.

四年后, she grew from her self-description of "naive" to an educated and dedicated social justice advocate who knows who she is, 因为她的立场, 以及她所拥有的无限潜力 and will pursue.

12月. 14, Isabel graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in 社会学 学位和第二专业 神学在每年的圣. galaxy银河娱乐场app冬季毕业典礼.

"I started out as a very average student and I didn't care about school. 我去是因为我父母让我去。”她说. “在这一点上，我已经完成了一个彻底的转变. I am very driven and I worked very hard in my classes rather than doing the bare minimum. I feel very passionate about these subjects and I give everything I have."

Isabel said it was the Introduction to the New Testament course taught by Professor Micah Kiel, 博士学位, 这引发了她的改变. "I grew up in Rock Island and attended Catholic schools since 7th grade,她说, but noted the Kiel's course challenged her to think more critically about the subject. "This class shifted my perspective and it fascinated me. We learned about different perspectives of the Bible, how history and society impacted what was written, the messages it contained and about the different authors of the New Testament.

"One day, as I was typing a paper, I realized ‘I am having fun right now. 我很享受，’”伊莎贝尔说. "I started approaching my assignments as a challenge to get the highest score I could possibly get, 我做的每件事都是这样."

Isabel always had a core interest in helping people in poverty but said she was very naive when she arrived on campus. Service and social justice were themes woven into every course, no matter the subject. "I had no idea how bad things were in some realms, 尤其是在社会不平等问题上,她说. Wanting to do more to impact lives and the world, she added a second major in 社会学.

Isabel believes her two majors "are beautifully interconnected. A lot of my theology classes brought sociological aspects into the discussion and incorporated liberation theology, which is rooted in social dynamics and social inequality,她说.

Her passion to serve and initiate change sparked her to launch Ambrosians against Racism two years ago. The student club focuses on increasing awareness and taking action to dismantle racism.

Isabel attributes the confidence she gained at St. galaxy银河娱乐场app in part to the theology and sociology professors who empowered her, 提高了她的目标, 太.

“我从来没有得到过这样的学术支持. Dr. Kiel and (神学 Professor and Chair) Lisa Powell, 博士学位, completely changed my perspective of what I am capable of and they've encouraged me as a person and as an academic,伊莎贝尔说。.

"研究生 school wasn't really a thought in my mind until Dr. 鲍威尔和博士. 基尔提出来的. I hadn't even considered it until they started telling me I could do it," she added.

Isabel said she suffers from anxiety and in the past, did everything she could to avoid making presentations. Recently, she s太d before a table of professors and presented her 15-page theology capstone paper. "I was terrified, but that experience changed my perspective. It made me believe I can do anything I want to do. 为什么不是我?"

Isabel is interested in continuing her education in the United Kingdom and, 很快, she'll start applying to graduate programs there focused on equality and human rights. In the interim, Isabel will continue her internship with the Martin Luther King Jr. Center in Rock Island and working for Lutheran Social Services.

"I am also looking for other opportunities to develop myself,她说. "I want to test out the different realms of community work I can get into. 我希望做很多不同的事情, 在很多不同的galaxy银河娱乐场app工作, 甚至可能在刑事司法系统中. I am very passionate about poverty, racism, and social justice. 我每天都在想这件事，”她说.

Looking back, Isabel recognizes how much she's grown. "My education here was truly an education and it truly opened my eyes,她说.

"I followed where my heart went and assumed everything would line up and fall into place. 我很高兴. 我很骄傲. I definitely will be treating myself to whatever I feel like when everything is finally done."