Studying history, politics, and gender together has taught me that no major human conflict has a single cause. As a senior at Western Illinois University, concentrating in World History, Global Politics, and Women's Studies within a Liberal Arts and Sciences major, I have developed a multidisciplinary lens for my areas of focus: colonialism, war, genocide, mass atrocities, international law, and human rights. My coursework has also drawn on psychology, sociology, cultural anthropology, and world religions, which has taught me to examine complex subjects from many angles rather than settle for simple explanations. An intersectional lens is essential to my research. History explains how conflicts take root, political and legal studies explain how institutions and treaties succeed or fail, and gender studies asks whose voices are missing from the room. Violence falls unevenly, and prevention policy that ignores gender, race, and history will miss the people most at risk. I saw this clearly while writing a 35-page research paper on sexual violence during genocide. This paper covered the gendered experiences in 20th and 21st century genocides, the establishment of the International Criminal Tribunals for the Former Yugoslavia and Rwanda; as well as the additional, lesser known tribunals regional courts, hybrid court, and domestic court decisions that now had legal recourse due to the decisions handed down in the two larger, headline making tribunals. While the topic is absolutely a difficult one, it is a topic that cannot be avoided. If justice and prevention are to mean anything the gendered experiences of men, women, and children during conflict must be documented so that it can be properly understood and studied. Studying genocide, international tribunals, propaganda, and human rights law has shown me that violence rarely begins with weapons. It begins with narratives and policies that determine who is protected and who is not, and it persists when institutions fail the people they claim to serve. Tribunals, treaties, and intergovernmental organizations like the United Nations offer tools for accountability, but those tools only work when informed people understand them and demand that they are utilized properly. After graduation, I plan to pursue a graduate degree in history and genocide studies. Rather than aiming for a single title, I am preparing for a body of work in human rights, research, and education, from analyzing policy to documenting atrocities to teaching others to recognize warning signs. I believe the global community benefits when researchers, advocates, and policymakers draw attention to atrocities and apply prevention strategies before they escalate. That work, however, depends on informed people at every level. For that reason, I intend to serve my local community by working with civil rights groups and NGOs dedicated to education, helping people see how history and human rights connect to their own lives. I come from a long line of soldiers and every soldier should know that global conflict affects local communities, even when the conflict is on the other side of the world. That belief shapes how I understand service: it means staying informed, speaking up, and helping others do the same, whether the community is local or global. Thank you for your time and consideration!

My goal has always been to learn from every possible source, while also assisting those who are in need of someone to advocate for them. However, I have recently run out of funding with three semesters left. I have no savings, no job and not much hope at the moment. My fiancé who has been the main breadwinner for nearly 18 years now currently has brain cancer. He is still working 50+ hours a week even though we know it’s not sustainable, but we need the money. He went through brain surgery nearly a year and a half ago, and unfortunately the tumors are growing back. I need to finish my degree/s so that I can work at a job that offers insurance. That pays somewhat comparative to his job. That we can both survive on. Because eventually he will not be able to work. If I am not able to find meaningful employment by then we will be in a world of trouble. His parents, and most of his close family, are no longer living. While mine are here, but they continue to disappoint even during a crisis of this nature. My fiancé was a writer, an alumni of Western even. But the tumor was in his speech and language areas. Amazingly he was awake through the procedure, telling them all about his book he’s writing. Since the surgery he’s had mild cognitive issues that affect his ability to write, to do what he loves, and it’s devastating. We wanted to travel, we wanted to have adventures, I had just started planning our wedding- but there isn’t time or money for that anymore. My experience with all of this is so difficult to explain this experience to anyone other than someone who has gone through it themselves. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone, but we are doing the best we can. Even when we’re both terrified. Right now all I can do is focus on doing the best I can in school so that I can provide for us if or when it comes to that. Beyond that he’s said he wants to know I can take care of myself when he’s gone and by going to school and doing so well he feels less scared for at least that small part of our lives. I have learned how to be stronger than I thought I ever could be, I’ve learned to hide my tears, I’ve learned that every moment with him is so important. I’ve learned who my true friends are, and which family members are truly there for us. But I think most of all I’ve learned how much I love him, how much I want to be with him, and just how devastating the idea of us not growing old together is.