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Pathways and Centers: An Innovative Approach to Integrative Education

 

Connecticut College has reinvented the liberal arts. We call it Connections, which takes the traditional academic major and makes it even more relevant by linking it to a personally meaningful Pathway or interdisciplinary study, off-campus learning, guaranteed internships and other professional development.

At Conn, students intentionally weave these components together around a theme of their own choosing through one of 13 Integrative Pathways or four Centers for Interdisciplinary Scholarship. With this integrated approach, students connect their education to their interests and career goals.

Students are well-supported throughout the four-year experience. A team of advisers helps new students navigate the resources and opportunities available to them. Once students choose a Pathway or a Center, faculty and advisers help students identify an animating question or an area of interest that is meaningful to them.

The Pathway culminates in the fall of the senior year with an all-College symposium where students present the results of their integrative studies to the larger campus community. Center scholars complete a senior integrative project and present their results at the all-College symposium and at a year-end Center symposium.

Connections ensures every student graduates with the integrative thinking, problem-solving and leadership skills necessary for a meaningful life and career.

 

Meet some of our Pathway and Center students: 

Headshot of Koby Giglietti ’21, Class of ’21

Koby Giglietti ’21

Entrepreneurship Pathway


Koby, an environmental studies major and economics minor, describes his experience in the Entrepreneurship, Social Innovation, Value and Change Pathway as nothing short of amazing. “The Pathways allow students to analyze a central question and look at that theme through multiple avenues of academic learning. Mine gave me the opportunity to analyze sustainability through an entrepreneurship lens,” he said. Through his coursework, Koby completed hands-on projects that included creating business plans and launching solutions to real problems. He studied abroad in Granada, Spain; interned for a start-up dedicated to reducing food waste in dining facilities and volunteered at an organization delivering fresh produce and groceries to immunocompromised and individuals with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. All of his experiences helped him hone his animating question, which connects food insecurity in food dessert/ apartheid communities with urban gardens and farms. After graduation, Koby plans to pursue a career in environmental consulting.

Headshot of Kevin Fellows ’21, Class of ’21

Kevin Fellows ’21

Global Capitalism Pathway


An economics major and finance minor, Kevin chose the Global Capitalism Pathway because he wanted to explore the greater context of what he was learning in his economics courses, but he also enjoys finding common themes in subjects he once believed were completely unrelated. “My courses in Chinese philosophy and behavioral finance are a good example of this—I took both as part of my Pathway, and they’ve had a surprising amount of overlap.” As a junior, Kevin travelled to Florence, Italy, to study away. “Living abroad undoubtedly broadened my horizons and challenged me to become a better student,” Kevin said. “But it also helped emphasize the importance of being a global citizen, a concept at the core of this Pathway.” Kevin, who plans to attend graduate school after graduation, is now drawn to venture capital with a social justice component and finding a career where he can disrupt the status quo within this industry. “My goal is to continue expanding my economic and financial analysis skills, and that, coupled with the strong interdisciplinary training I received at Conn, will help me make a tangible impact within the social venture capital arena. Ultimately, I hope to invest in environmentally and socially responsible companies,” he said.

Headshot of Cameron Segal ’20 , Class of '20

Cameron Segal ’20

Cities and Schools Pathway


Cameron, an American studies major who was inspired to pursue a teaching certificate by professor Lauren Anderson, joined the Cities and Schools Pathway because he hopes to teach at an independent school after graduation. He is also a hockey player who has, at times, been made to feel like he didn’t fit in with his teammates because of his olive complexion. After a black hockey player for the Washington Capitals was taunted by Chicago Blackhawk fans chanting “Basketball,” Cameron decided his animating question would be: Why is hockey considered a ‘white’ sport? After considerable research, Cameron developed a Learn to Skate Program to introduce Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School students who have recently immigrated to the United States to the sport of ice hockey. Cameron worked with the Dayton Arena rink manager, his club hockey team, the figure skating team, Bennie Dover teacher Rocio Tinoco ’17, the Connecticut College Education Department and Residential Education Fellows students to launch the program. This summer, he is a faculty intern at Loomis Chaffee's Summer Program where he is serving as a teacher assistant, coach and residential adviser for students in grades 7 through 12. 

Headshot of Max Whisnant ’21, Class of '21

Max Whisnant ’21

Peace and Conflict Pathway


An aspiring politician, Max joined the Peace and Conflict Pathway to better understand political conflicts and learn to develop solutions. A government and English double major, he interned for U.S. Representative Joe Kennedy’s U.S. Senate campaign in Massachusetts and developed an interest in political rhetoric. And in Assistant Professor of Government Mara Suttmann-Lea’s “Parties, Campaigns, and Elections” course, Max learned about effective campaign messaging. “Unsurprisingly, comparative messaging helped a candidate best because this style does not directly attack an opponent, but instead gives voters an alternative vision without the degradation of another candidate,” he said. Max is now writing an honors thesis on presidential rhetoric during catastrophic times. After graduation, he is looking forward to starting his career in politics, either as a candidate himself or working on campaigns. “I am excited to dive into policy and try to help solve some of our problems,” he said.

Headshot of Olivia Domowitz ’19, Class of '19

Olivia Domowitz ’19

Toor Cummings Center for International Studies and the Liberal Arts


Olivia’s interest in the international community led her to study abroad in Morocco, where she learned about the country’s large migrant population. An international relations and French double major, Olivia was fascinated by the stories of Francophone-African migrants who were leaving their home countries for Europe by way of Morocco. After conducting significant research, she interned at the Fondation Orient-Occident in Rabat, Morocco, where she worked on a project with the International Organization for Migration to help migrants who were victims of abuse and trafficking. In one particular case, she was part of a team that helped an 18-year-old Nigerian woman voluntarily return to Nigeria. “Seeing this young woman from the beginning of her experience at our organization to her return helped me better understand the system of migrant aid,” Olivia says. She also conducted field research and anthropological interviews in French for her senior project, “Migration of Francophone Africans to Europe, through Morocco.” Olivia was awarded a 2019 Fulbright U.S. Student Program grant to teach English and conduct research for a year in Côte d’Ivoire. Following her Fulbright fellowship, Olivia will pursue a master’s degree at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.

Headshot of Sara Van Deusen ’21, Class of ’21

Sara Van Deusen ’21

Eye of the Mind Pathway


Fascinated by the evolving path and ancient origins of the liberal arts philosophy, Sara has devoted much of her time at Conn to examining the broader context of how a liberal arts education still maintains its relevance in contemporary society while not losing sight of the concepts and philosophies the ancient Greeks originally envisioned. “I have always been intrigued by both the history and the workings of the liberal arts education, and I wanted to discover how this philosophy continues to be so successful in its implementation today at schools like Conn,” she said. For her animating question, Sara, an English and French double major, has examined centuries of literature involving student-teacher relationships and how the portrayals of those power dynamics have helped shape modern culture and education. “In addition to analyzing a variety of texts, from the Letters of Abelard and Heloise to Lolita, I’m aiming to connect this historical and literary work to psychological theories of trauma, pedagogical philosophy and the #MeToo movement in order to examine how the nuances of education and relationships either change or perpetuate the ways of our culture,” she said. After graduation, Sara plans to pursue a doctorate in either English or French literature, with the goal of becoming a professor so she can continue enjoying her love of literary discussion and writing.

Headshot of Marissa Domantay ’20, Class of '20

Marissa Domantay ’20

Social Justice and Sustainability Pathway


Marissa’s interest in the representation of diverse stories and bodies in media led her to join the Social Justice and Sustainability Pathway. A Posse Scholar who founded and chaired the South and Southeast Asian Alliance at Conn, Marissa drew on her own experiences for her animating question: What do the experiences of intersectionalized bodies in higher education look like and how can people—incoming students, undergraduates and administrators—learn from these experiences? “I reflected on my preparedness in transitioning to college and realized that a lot of booklets and guides on the subject do not consider intersectionality,” she says. Last spring, Marissa, an art major and mathematics minor, studied abroad in Ireland, taking courses on media studies and different platforms for storytelling. She has applied for summer internships related to the arts and intersectionality in storytelling at PBS and the Art Institute of Chicago. In her free time, she also conducts research in the field of Filipino-American studies. “As a Filipina, I am passionate about learning my own history and how that history shaped my experiences today,” she says. After graduation, Marissa plans to continue pursuing her passion for representation within education and media; she is considering career paths ranging from art professor to writer and illustrator.

Headshot of Sharon Van Meter ’20, Class of '20

Sharon Van Meter ’20

Power and Knowledge Pathway


It all started with a theater prop: For a performance in the musical “The Cradle Will Rock,” Sharon made a protest sign—inspired by a quote by Maximilien Robespierre—on which she wrote, “Knowledge is Power.” A year later she joined the Pathway with almost the same name. Her interest in theater and media, combined with a desire to understand what makes us who we are (which she regularly explores as a history major and religious studies minor) led her to her animating question: What role do corporations play in forming our concepts of childhood well-being? Last spring, she studied at Queen’s University in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where she took a Broadcast Analysis class about the media’s role in producing knowledge. Currently, Sharon is studying how Times Square's transformation into a site associated with family friendly entertainment and well-being is associated with the roles that gender performance and class play in the entertainment it provides. Outside of the classroom, Sharon explores the production of narratives through her involvement in Wig & Candle, Conn's student-run theater organization, and The College Voice, Conn's student newspaper. She hopes to translate these interests into a rewarding career in publishing, museum work or education.

Headshot of Halle Paredes ’21, Class of ’21

Halle Paredes ’21

Public Health Pathway


Halle has always been interested in healthcare, ethics and public health. A philosophy major and government minor, Halle studied abroad at University College London in London, England, and completed two internships: one with the Mayo Clinic and one with a small bioethics non-profit run by Conn graduate. “My non-profit internship shaped my integrative question, as we conducted survey-based research regarding the ethical principles guiding triage policies on state and institutional levels,” she said. “My Mayo Clinic internship affirmed my passion for public health ethics and, in tandem with my Pathway coursework, led me to decide that public health ethics is what I want to focus on as a career path.” Halle’s academic experiences are culminating during the worst global pandemic in more than 100 years, which led her to her animating question: In the context of the COVID-19 outbreak, how do normative ethics influence or guide triage policies and reopening strategies, and what does this look like globally? After graduation, Halle will pursue a master's degree in philosophy, politics and economics of health at University College London. 

Headshot of Rachael Lieblein-Jurbala ’19, Class of '19

Rachael Lieblein-Jurbala ’19

Holleran Center for Community Action and Public Policy


Rachael is interested in the ways in which dance can be used to help those who have experienced trauma, and in the relationship between gender socialization and intimate partner violence. The summer after her sophomore year, the dance and sociology double major interned with the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence to develop a movement curriculum for children and teens affected by intimate partner violence. She then partnered with Gibney Dance to host a workshop at Conn about Gibney’s model for addressing sexual violence through the arts. In 2018, a politically charged dance piece Rachael choreographed, “…and I will never, ever let you down,” was performed at the National College Dance Festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. For her senior integrative project, Rachael looked at the ways in which gender socialization contributes to the potential for gender-based violence. “Children constantly receive gendered messages through speech, toys, media and books, and through observation of the people around them. These messages contribute to early understandings of power and control, forming the building blocks on which we may conceive of the phenomenon of intimate partner violence in later life,” she says. Last summer, she interned with the Sasamani Foundation in Bagamoyo, Tanzania, where she had the opportunity to lead classroom discussions with secondary school students about gender and gender roles. Since graduating in May, Rachael has accepted a position as a performing arts specialist with Center for Family Life in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, where she will be teaching dance and directing performing arts productions. 

Headshot of Journee Hardaway ’21, Class of ’21

Journee Hardaway ’21

Bodies/Embodiment Pathway


A dance and sociology major, Journee says the Bodies/Embodiment Pathway was a natural fit for her interests, and the experience has been transformative. “The faculty coordinators and students in the thematic inquiry course my sophomore year created a collaborative, safe, nonhierarchical space where we were able to start drawing connections from the diverse pool of courses we had taken addressing the theme of bodies and their relation to power, as well as the idea of who gets to tell history,” she said. Journee visited Jamaica and studied abroad in Trinidad and Tobago, where she was able to learn about the colonial past of Trinidad, engage in cultural events such as Parang and Calinda, experience Dancehall, and was introduced to Maroon community dance. These experiences led her to her animating question, What is the significance of the body’s position in a group circle formation? How is this translated in dance? After graduation, Journee plans to pursue a career in the field of arts administration. “After an internship with COCO Dance Festival in Trinidad and with David Dorfman Dance, I’ve realized how passionate I am about helping others get their dance projects out into the world,” she said.

Headshot of Saadya Chevan ’19, Class of '19

Saadya Chevan ’19

Ammerman Center for Arts and Technology


As a first-year student, Saadya attended two concerts at the Ammerman Center’s biennial symposium on arts and technology. He was impressed by the innovative artists and scholars in attendance and quickly decided this was a community he wanted to join. A philosophy major and music performance minor, Saadya is interested in the cross-section between art and political systems, as well as in arts journalism. After joining the Ammerman Center, he began to write music and theater reviews for The College Voice, Conn’s student newspaper, eventually serving as arts editor and managing editor. As a junior, he studied abroad in Vienna, Austria, and completed two internships there, conducting research with a professor at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna, and working as an assistant editor for the record company Paladino Media GmbH. His senior project, “Stamitz: Reimagined Concerto for Clarinet and Audience,” was a performance in the idiom of classical music where audience members influenced its outcome. He performed the piece as part of his Music Department senior recital. “It’s given me the opportunity to improve my programming skills both for live performance and internetbased applications, while also allowing me to gain more performance experience.” Saadya plans to consider career opportunities in both journalism and the performing arts.

Headshot of Alex Saucedo ’21, Class of ’21

Alex Saucedo ’21

Social Justice Pathway


Alex, a computer science major and mathematics minor, joined the Social Justice and Sustainability Pathway to learn about the ways he could help create a more just society. A Posse scholar from Chicago, Illinois, he was struck by the inequities exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially as they relate to education.“Students and their families are struggling to pay internet bills or afford a computer, and that is a huge problem, since students are not getting proper education,” he said. “Most of these students are low-income, attend under-resourced schools and are being left behind.” Alex presented about the impact of the technology gap on students’ learning at the annual All-College Symposium in November, 2020. After graduation, he plans to pursue a career with a tech company, and continue to seek out ways to advance social justice. He also plans to give back to his community. “I want to mentor students in STEM who come from places like the place I came from, and help them achieve their goals,” he said.

Headshot of Delilah Fairclough-Stewart ’19, Class of '19

Delilah Fairclough-Stewart ’19

The Goodwin-Niering Center for the Environment


Delilah wants to talk trash. Not enough people do, she argues. “Most people in the United States know that we discard a lot of trash, but they are blind to the actual amount we produce, what it consists of, where it goes, its environmental effects and its social implications,” she says. After studying abroad in France and interning with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the French and environmental studies major embarked on a two-part project to study Amazon’s use and distribution of cardboard and to conduct a waste audit of three Connecticut towns—Stonington, East Lyme and New London. By looking at both the industrial and production sides and the consumer and residential aspects of waste production, Delilah gained a much better understanding of the possibilities for long-term solutions for waste reduction and management. “I want to shed light on the hyperconsumerism and mass waste production in our society,” she says. “I plan to use this study as an explanation of human behaviors: our consumption habits and our tie to material objects, and how that has an effect on our society and natural environment.” 

 


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June 12, 2019

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