Student Impact Stories

Jess Rush ’23, CISLA Scholar

Majors: English, French and Gender, Sexuality, and Intersectionality Studies

Hometown: Renton, Washington

Background: I grew up in an all-female, single-parent, low-income household for the better part of my adolescence and I cite this environment, as well as my mother’s ambition, encouragement and entrepreneurship, as the source of my character, work ethic, passions and drive. I am a published poet working on my first full-length collection, a singer-songwriter and ghostwriter, an editor at The Spotlong Review (a literary magazine I helped to found this year) and I own a portrait photography business.

Current Plans: I am studying French and creative writing for two months this summer at the American University of Paris, and at the University of Edinburgh during the fall semester. In Scotland, I plan to focus on my English major and prepare for my senior poetry capstone. I will also study French and GSIS at the Middlebury School in Paris in spring 2022 to prepare for my CISLA summer internship, which I hope to complete at a fashion house or magazine in Paris in order to complete the field research for my Senior Integrative Project.

Future Plans: With the assistance of the Office of Global Study, the Hale Center and Dean Singer, I’m in the early stages of planning my applications for Watson and Fulbright Fellowships. I would love to be able to spend my immediate post-graduate year completing a Watson Fellowship in France and other Francophone countries. I would like to continue my research of beauty and the body and my study of the French language, and to see my research materialize in my more creative and most dear art forms, poetry and photography.

Sergio Reyes Aguilar ’24

Intended Major: Government

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

Background: I come from Los Angeles but I was born in Guatemala. The main reason we moved to the United States was for me to have a better future, which I am achieving by pursuing higher education. Although it was a rocky road, I needed to be the first one in my family to attend college and make sure that the quality of my education was the best one I could get, which is why I chose to attend Connecticut College.

Why Conn? I chose Conn College because I wanted a more personalized education with closer communication with faculty and realized I could thrive within the liberal arts curriculum. Thus far, I have not been disappointed because the academics here are truly challenging, which is something I enjoy. I’m used to living in big cities and was unable to visit Conn before committing. I will never forget my first moment on campus when I saw how impressive the naturally beautiful campus was. Overall, Connecticut College has met my expectations and much more.

Current Plans: This year, I’ve taken two courses with Professor MaryAnne Borrelli: U.S. Government and Politics and The U.S. Presidency. These courses were both educationally enriching and difficult. Luckily, Professor Borrelli is kind, knowledgeable and she is always willing to take some time out of her busy schedule to help students succeed when they are having a difficult time. On campus I am involved in The College Voice, Bespoke Magazine (I am their incoming Styling Director) and the People of Color Alliance. I hope to join more clubs next year when everything starts going back to “seminormal.”

Yue Yu ’23

Intended Major: Quantitative Economics & Econometrics

Hometown: Chengdu City, China

Why Conn? I decided to come to Conn because I was attracted by its liberal arts education. I believe in the importance of exploring a wide variety of subjects and gaining transferable skills for my future study and work. I also hope to become a critical thinker by reading and writing extensively and engaging in stimulating discussions in small class sizes.

Conn’s first-year seminar was especially appealing to me. All of the seminar topics sounded interesting and I had difficulty choosing only one of them. I am also grateful for Conn’s generous scholarship, which makes my Camel experience possible for me.

Favorite Class: My favorite class so far is United States Foreign Policy. In that class, I learned about the different schools of thought in foreign policy in the United States throughout history. I also studied how those thoughts influence the debate on the role of the United States in the world and shape the way the United States deals with other countries. As an international student who aspires to a career in international economics or affairs, I gained a better understanding of the American government and culture in this class.

Campus Leadership: I am really proud of myself for serving as a floor governor during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the fall 2020 semester, when several students on my floor tested positive for COVID-19, many residents felt terrified. As the floor governor, I immediately held a virtual meeting to listen to my fellow residents. I then respectfully expressed my residents’ concerns and requested a Zoom meeting with College leadership. In the meeting, I facilitated conversations between deans and residents and we established additional safety guidelines. After the meeting, residents felt relieved, and there were no new cases on my floor. I was proud to take on the responsibility to ensure a safe environment for my campus community.