Kayla Abrams
Blog Post #1
Hi there! My name is Kayla Abrams, I am a senior at Loyola studying Psychology and Women’s & Gender Studies. I am currently interning at HOW (Housing Opportunities for Women) in Chicago. I am originally from a suburb in Massachusetts and have been living there since the beginning of the pandemic, so I am very excited to be back in Chicago and on campus.
In studying Women’s & Gender Studies I realized I would need to find an internship for at least one semester at Loyola so I began my search during the Spring semester. I applied to many different incredible organizations within the Chicago area, and met with a few of them to discuss their programs, but eventually I ended up working with HOW because I felt like it perfectly fit with what I hope to pursue in the future. As a double major, it was really important for me to find something that would allow me to explore both of those fields. I am extremely interested in the psychological impacts that different forms of systemic oppression have on underserved communities and marginalized groups of people. From my internship I was really hoping to have the opportunity to work directly with these communities to better understand how these environments impact them, and to ultimately work towards bettering their situation, whether that be from a psychological standpoint and counseling, to simply just providing support that they might not otherwise have. The main goal of HOW is to provide houseless people with affordable housing so that they have a steady home to get back on their feet, in whatever way that might be. HOW is a housing first model, meaning that the main goal is to provide housing but they offer many other systems of support once someone is placed within a housing unit. HOW provides support services for youth such as tutoring and a mentor program, which is the aspect I am most interested in. I hope to be able to work with the youth and teen programs because that is what I am most interested in. I am hoping to gain experience working directly with the clients that HOW takes in, and better understanding the skills necessary for working to help underserved communities.
HOW currently only allows about 20% of staff to work within their buildings which means that so far, and most likely into the future, I have been and will be working completely remote. I have met with a few of the different employees at HOW through Microsoft teams and have a few more meetings set up to meet with others, which has allowed me to get to know many different employees and gain more insight into how the different departments within the organization work and are set up. My internship coordinator informed me that there is a housing unit that HOW just recently built in Evanston that she hopes I will be able to visit at some point this semester which I am really looking forward to. I do not think I will have the opportunity to work within their office, but visiting the housing units will be just as fulfilling.
Blog Post #2
Hi again everyone! My name is Kayla Abrams, a senior at Loyola studying Psychology and Women’s & Gender Studies. I am currently interning at Housing Opportunities for Women (HOW) in Chicago. I have been interning there for about 7 weeks now, I started right at the beginning of the semester. I am really enjoying my internship so far and have had a few discussions with people about how I would love to continue working with them even after this semester finishes up.
Over the past few weeks the organization that I intern at has been focusing on their annual luncheon, and have been planning and executing that. The main point of the annual luncheon is to highlight certain speakers who work within the field. This luncheon focused specifically on the intersection of housing and health; how does one’s housing or lack of housing affect their health. Whether it be mental or physical health, being houseless is something that heavily impacts one’s quality of life so it is incredibly important for speakers such as the ones HOW invited to discuss this topic. I wasn’t able to attend the actual event due to scheduling conflicts with classes, but it was really cool to see everything come together on the side of the organizers. I definitely learned a lot about the process of organizing an event like this from overhearing different team members having conversations about it and witnessing all the discussions they were having over the past few weeks. I knew the process of organizing events was complex but it was really interesting to see just how much has to go into things like this that people usually don’t even think about.
I have definitely been seeing a lot of my Women’s and Gender Studies education reflected in the work that I have been doing so far. A big part of working with houseless people is the side effects of homelessness that they deal with, on top of the fact that they are living in unstable conditions. Intersectionality plays a really big role in the populations that we work with. There are multiple different intersections of identities that we see in the people we work with, and you can really see how each identity has its own set of challenges and unique experiences.
I can feel myself developing a lot of skills through my internship that I would not have otherwise. I have always had a lot of anxiety surrounding working with other people in a “professional” environment, but being part of an organization that is filled with such welcoming and friendly people has really allowed me to develop communication skills that are vital in the work that we do. I have also developed a deeper understanding of just how difficult it is for houseless people in the Chicago area, which has fueled the passion I have for being a support system for them, and for all people who may be in unstable situations where they feel they have no other form of support.
Blog Post #3
Hi everyone! Once again, my name is Kayla Abrams. I am currently interning at HOW (Housing Opportunities for Women) and I have been there since the end of August. I am still really loving it and have had a few discussions about potentially staying on with them into the next semester, and possibly further out.
I have learned a lot so far about what it is like to work in nonprofit organizations and to be doing work with individuals who are in vulnerable positions. I am super lucky to have an internship coordinator who I really get along with, and who has been very helpful in giving me projects that cater to what I want to be learning. I have learned the ways in which a nonprofit organization deals with its donations/funding and it is honestly a lot more complex than I originally thought it was going to be. We recently received a grant to buy supplies to make kits (which you can see me doing in the photo above) for some of our clients, and we had very specific requirements for what the money was allowed to be spent on. For these kits specifically we had to buy a lot of masks, bedding, cooking supplies, and cleaning supplies. There was another grant that was received around the same time that required us to buy a bunch of other types of supplies for clients, but it was crucial that we not mix up any of the supplies from one grant project with another. Making these kits was a lot of heavy lifting and repetitive tasks, but it was really rewarding to know that they were going to people that needed them and were going to be utilizing everything that we gave them. I hope that I will be able to apply the skills I am gaining to my real life work because I will most likely end up at an organization or some place that does a lot of non-profit work, which can all be very tedious but is ultimately extremely rewarding.
I think this ties a lot into what I would say to someone who wants to be a WSGS major or minor. A lot of jobs after getting a WSGS degree are not going to be paying you a crazy amount of money, and you are not going to be getting a lot of benefits from them, but it is extremely rewarding work. Knowing that you are truly making a difference in a lot of people’s lives, and being a support system for people who don’t really have anywhere else to go is an incredible feeling and is definitely worth it. I would say that getting to meet the people that you are helping is what keeps you going in work like this, so if you enjoy making personal connections with people and interacting with them then I think getting a WSGS degree is a good fit for you. Caring about people and wanting to help them is really some of the best work you could do
Ryan Richardson
Blog Post #1
Hello everyone! My name is Ryan Richardson, and I am a 4th-year at Loyola University Chicago. I am currently in pursuit of two degrees: A Bachelor of Art in Women’s Studies and Gender Studies and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. I initially enrolled at Loyola University Chicago with a single degree in Psychology, but quickly fell in love with the Women’s Studies and Gender Studies program and department within my introductory course for Women’s Studies and Gender Studies (WSGS101) my first semester 1st-year. I am grateful for the love, support, and developing relationships I have been fortunate enough to find in the WSGS department at Loyola.
I have decided to engage in a WSGS Practicum (as opposed to an internship) because of the wonderful opportunity made apparent to me by Dr. Héctor García Chávez. Dr García Chávez approached me about applying for a Provost Fellowship through the university. A little quick summary of the Provost Fellowship for those who may not be aware is that Loyola offers several types of research fellowships- the provost being one of them. The most attractive trait of the Provost Fellowship is the freedom it grants its recipient; it is not tied to a specific donor or department. Being accepted as one of the several recipients for the academic year of 2021-22, I can be advised under the mentorship of Dr. García Chávez and explore my interest in Queer Theory and Masculinity Studies. An additional trait of the fellowship is that it has allowed me to become a teacher’s assistant for Dr. García Chávez’s Queer Theory undergraduate section the 2021 fall semester. The teacher’s assistant position also allows me to be enrolled within the practicum requirement for the WSGS major program. Yay! I am excited to be engaged in Dr. García Chávez’s Queer Theory class (again) as a teacher’s assistant because it has allowed me to (re)engage with the various texts that propelled me on a journey of academic and self (re)discovery. Further, I can cooperate with students as we struggle with the various texts, our own lives, and our own understandings. Overall, if there was one specific thing, I hope to accomplish within this practicum is a better sense of community-focused development and cooperation. The research question I am currently interrogating is “How do we ethically respond to the call of the wild,” and I believe that this is a fruitful question because of the weight attached to “we”? Who gets to claim this “we”? Who gets to respond to the call? Who is already situated as a container of the wild? How does one ethically interrogate their own position/privilege in relation to others to relate to others? One aspect of my own research with the Provost Fellowship is to understand how intercommunal relationships affect intercommunal relations, and to explore an ethical way to cooperate.
The practicum is quite fruitful. I am super excited to be supported by another teacher’s assistant (Maura Frank). We are working together to respond to the students and invite them to engage in class discussions. A fun, recent engagement we had together was the process of grading. Neither one of us had ever graded before- at least not in such a meaningful setting- and we had, what I considered, fun and critical cooperation in distributing grades. I am also so excited to see and hear the students, critically engaging with the materials that Dr. García Chávez, Maura, and I worked hard to outline.
Blog Post #2
Hello again! Ryan Richardson here. As a quick reminder, I am engaged in a practicum by occupying one (of two) Teacher Assistant positions for Queer Theory, led by Dr. Héctor García Chávez. I have officially been occupying this role since the start of the Academic semester (August 30) but did engage in meetings with Dr. Garcia and Maura Frank (the other TA) over summer.
The past eight weeks have been full of queer topics and student engagement. I must re-read the texts that will be discussed each week and be prepared to actively engage with and invite students during our official class meeting. Every student has had wonderful input and demonstrated a strong desire and ability to unpack the materials for the week. Outside of official class hours, I host office hours, and while this is not often frequented by the students, I have had several shows up! The students coming to office hours are always wonderful, and not just because their appearance gives me something to do; I get the opportunity to collaborate further with the students in their unpacking of the texts. This process of collaboration helps satisfy my desire for community- learning to build and maintain community-based environments that works to empower all inhabitants- one of my main goals for engaging in this practicum. Even though I am the TA, and technically occupy a position of “higher power,” the students often, are guiding me! It is quite wonderful to actively listen and provide space for the students. Engaging in this type of dynamic has helped me to reflect on my privilege and positionality, and to engage in practices that seek to deconstruct the inherent power differential between teacher (assistant)-student. While I have been able to further strengthen my interpretations of the materials, I have also been quite lucky to have my own views reconfigured when it comes to the text because everyone engages in queer theory differently. Another activity outside the official course is the grading of the blogs! Grading the blogs is quite fun because they are all so wonderful to read, and it is in these blogs where I can get a deeper sense of the unpacking the students are doing. Maura and I read all the blogs, but we split the class alphabetically to determine who we will provide comments for and swap those we comment upon (between the former and latter half) of each blog turn-in.
There are two instances that I felt I was developing knowledge and deploying skills to work towards social justice: reflexivity when it came to blog grading and adapting the mid-term. On the former, Maura and I recently engaged in a discussion about the grading process of blogs. Firstly, I was wondering what the purpose of the blogs are and if we are honoring that space. In other words, I was wondering if our grading process was supportive and encouraging for the students in a space, we have set-up for them to unpack the materials for the week. Rather than us engaging in a critical, value-driven grading practice. I felt that we may oftentimes have gotten caught-up in our own value-driven assumptions by occupying the position of grade distributor, and that we may have been constantly looking for more from the students in a space that was to be the start of their unpacking. After this reflection, and after talking with Maura, I feel that we have a renewed approach plan to the blogs that is rooted in support and gratitude. On the latter instance, I should preface by saying that I completely forgot that we were asking the students to partake in midterm interviews. As such, we never asked the students to sign-up for interview slots within the week the syllabus told students to sign up for interview slots! Rather than have the students rush to sign-up for interview slots in one day, and potentially add stress by moving the interviews back one week when a paper is due in 2 weeks, we had the opportunity to engage in a creative re-work of the midterm interview. In the process of deciding on what this re-work would be, I engaged (again) in reflexivity to ask myself: How stress-inducing would be pushing back the midterm to Week 10 be? And is there a way for us to tie together the midterm interview and the paper, considering the students already must write the paper? Engaging in reflexivity on these questions allowed me to recognize practices I have already done in my other WSGS classes. I realized that many of my other WSGS classes have asked us to present (2-5 minutes) on the paper we wrote, and this counted for part of our grade. So, I proposed that we section off the latter half of class the week after papers were due so that students could present their papers, and then, based on what the students decided to write about, ask them one or two interview questions that related. This process is to be informal and is to ask students to further think about what they have already engaged in. I really believe that these two instances have helped me better develop knowledge and skills to work towards social justice because they demonstrate the importance of reflexivity in proactive and reactive re-workings. In other words, working towards social justice is not a linear process. Oftentimes, we must ask ourselves how the practices we have implemented and are following are working for those they seek to assist and be willing to adapt ourselves to practices that are more in-line with our social justice goals, and in line with systems of empowerment.
Blog Post #3
Hello everyone! I am back again to bring you another update on my occupation of one of Dr. Héctor García Chávez’s two Teach Assistant positions for his Queer Theory course. This is a virtual role that I have been occupying since the first class of the Fall 2021 semester (August 27).
This position (practicum) has allowed me to better develop my engagement skills with my peers. Being a TA, I am constantly encouraged to approach my fellow peers (the students) with engaging questions. I do so in hopes of continuing dialogue and learning about the thought processes of the students as they engage with the material (for the week). This process has allowed me to interrogate how I have traditionally viewed knowledge. This is to say that knowledge is not something I have or should seek to possess in the process of distributing my own interpretations of that knowledge. Rather, knowledge is a collective process wherein I engage with others to discuss (dialogue) how we have each interpreted, processed, and applied the material, and how we collectively mesh our own knowledge-formations. Why is this interrogation of knowledge production so central and important to me? As I have come to reflect and consider my future options, I have realized that I want to be a (high school) social worker. Therefore, I must actively and intentionally listen to the perceptions and reality (are they so different?) of the people I will be engaging with as a social worker; Those who know their experience best, are those who are experiencing. As a social worker, I too have my own set of skills, training, and knowledge that I can deploy in communication with those I engage with so we can work together to better comprehend the experience(s) and create action plans. More present, I have been able to apply the processes I am engaging with to my own social life. I feel as though I am more apt to listen and question than lecture or impose my own perceptions. Further, I often seek to engage others with my own ideas and value the feedback, critique, or additions to my own proposals. This has created a more noticeable responsiveness from my peers and friends because (I hope) they feel heard and valued; what they say has an effect on the shaping, crafting, and deployment of the projects and visions I have proposed.
My favorite moment from my practicum is when me and the other Teacher Assistant (Maura Frank) led a class that Dr. Chávez could not attend due to a wonderful opportunity presented to him. Maura and I worked to construct the agenda for the class, which consisted mostly of the student’s presenting the papers they had just written and then followed with the group presentation on the films Moonlight and Pariah. Based on feminist principles, we provided immediate and encouraging feedback on what they had presented- and everyone was lovely, critical, and excited to share. This is why I would highly recommend anyone (and everyone) become a WSGS major or minor because of the way WSGS encourages you to rethink traditional pedagogy. This is to say that the WSGS program is rooted in empathetic and critical pedagogy rather than objective and punitive (traditional) pedagogy. I truly do feel that my enrollment as a WSGS major has challenged me to rethink how I approach others and myself; I feel I give myself more time to construct empathetic and encouraging responses- both in academic and social spaces- and compassion.
Audrey Harris
Blog Post #1
Hello Loyola WSGS community! My name is Audrey Harris (she/her), and I am a senior undergraduate student studying Psychology and Women Studies and Gender Studies at Loyola. I am also very fortunate to be a Gannon Scholar the at the Gannon Center for Women and Leadership. I grew up in Denver, Colorado and moved to Chicago three years ago in the Fall of 2018 to begin my freshman year. Moving so far from home was a daunting and anxiety inducing decision, but I knew attending Loyola as a Gannon Scholar was an opportunity I couldn’t give up because of the university’s emphasis on social justice and the opportunity to find an interdisciplinary feminist lens through which I can learn and work. Outside of school, I love reading, baking (I make some delicious gluten free banana bread), spending time by the lake, exploring new restaurants all over the city, and hiking and skiing whenever I’m home in Colorado!
The past three years at Loyola have been incredibly formative in helping me focus my broad interest in social justice to the specific issue of sexual violence prevention and advocacy. In the last few years, I have taken many steps to commit my academic, extracurricular, and career goals to becoming a stronger and more knowledgeable advocate for survivors of sexual violence. With the help of a Provost Fellowship, I completed my first independent undergraduate research project focused on predictors of rape myth acceptance on campus, I began volunteering on Loyola’s gender-based violence hotline through the wellness center, and most importantly, I started an internship with the Zacharias Center for Sexual Abuse. ZCenter is a rape crisis center that offers advocacy services, prevention education workshops, and counseling services in Lake County and Northern Cook County. All services are offered to survivors and families of survivors free of charge with options in both English and Spanish. I chose an internship with ZCenter because of their well-rounded approach to addressing the issues of sexual violence and rape culture. I believe that advocacy, education, or counseling alone will not change the systemic social and cultural issues that contribute to the continued perpetration of violence. However, when combined and viewed as intersectional pieces of one system, I believe they can create a survivor focused environment that is efficient in working to break the cycle of violence. As a bachelor level intern, I work primarily within the advocacy and prevention education branches of ZCenter. Each month I spend 72 hours on call for ZCenter staffing either the 24-hour support line, or the medical advocacy phone, I shadow and lead different educational workshops in elementary, middle, and high schools, and I am in the process of getting involved in producing the ZCenter podcast “73 Seconds: From Here to Heaing.” Throughout my time with ZCenter I hope both continue strengthening my skills as an advocate in in-person client interactions, and also gain insight into whether a career in sexual violence advocacy feels sustainable. As crucial as advocacy work is, there can be emotional burnout because advocates spend so much time talking about atrocious acts of violence and harm. I am still learning to compartmentalize those conversations so that I’m not always bringing the emotionally draining pieces of advocacy work home with me. I have such love and admiration for those who dedicate their lives to nonprofit and advocacy work, and spending a year working with such a dedicated non-profit feels critical in helping me make that decision for myself.
I have only been working as a ZCenter intern for three weeks, but so far, my impression of the organization and my hands on work experience have been very positive! Due to covid-19, the internship program is functioning in a hybrid manner. Most of my work can be done remotely, but there is always the opportunity to join the rest of the team in the Gurnee or Skokie offices for a few days of the week. Each office location has a fireplace in the lobby to signify a comforting, warm, and welcoming environment for all of our clients. The commute all the way to the Gurnee office can be tiring at times, but the drive is worth the opportunity to play such a hands-on role in advocacy and education. The team of staff and interns are so supportive and helpful, and it’s a unique experience to be surrounded by people who are all so passionate about ending sexual violence and rape culture. I appreciate the organization’s mission of creating an equal workspace and minimizing the use of hierarchical power dynamics between ZCenter staff. Even as an intern, I feel welcomed, heard, and valued as a member of the team. I am so eager to continue learning and growing as an advocate, student, and human through this internship.
Blog Post #3
Hello Loyola Women and Gender Studies Community! My name is Audrey Harris and I’m a senior undergraduate student in the Psychology and Women Studies Gender Studies departments. Outside of Loyola, I am also an Outreach Intern at the Zacharias Center for Sexual Abuse. I started in this position at the end of August and have spent the last few months working on the center’s 24-hour crisis support line, commuting to hospitals as a medical advocate, and facilitating education programs in elementary and high schools in Lake County.
As a senior undergraduate student, I have been spending a great deal of time thinking about what I want my future to look like. My internship at Zacharia Center has been very helpful in both solidifying and encouraging me to rethink different aspects of my personal, educational, career, and activist goals. Before starting my internship, I planned on graduating in May, taking a gap year to work full time as medical advocate at a Chicago rape crisis center, and then going back to school to pursue a degree in either social psychology or non-profit management. My time with ZCenter has helped me realize that working as a full-time advocate is no longer what I want to spend my gap year doing. As important as advocacy work is, the vicarious trauma that advocates experience through their work is too heavy for me to take on at this stage in my life. Since I started working with survivors at ZCenter I have noticed a definite decrease in mental health. Coming to this decision has been a very difficult process. It feels like a letdown to know that I am stepping away from the work that I anticipated spending the next year in engaging in. However, my work facilitating educational workshops with ZCenter has helped me discover that I love working on the preventative side of sexual abuse advocacy! Now, I am looking forward to finding a position with a non-profit where I can continue playing a role in prevention and education initiatives. Despite the changes in the specific areas of advocacy that interest me, I am as passionate about ending sexual violence as I have ever been, and I am continuing to keep an open mind as I move through the next few months.
In reflecting on the past few months, my favorite internship moments have been facilitating sexual abuse prevention workshops for students. I especially loved working with elementary school students. I am always so surprised by how willing and eager to engage in conversations and activities students can be. These education experiences have taught me that if you raise the bar as an educator, often, kids will step up and exceed your expectations. It’s a wonderful experience to watch such young students take on nuanced concepts of consent, safety, and relationships. I never received any sort of formal sexual abuse prevention education until coming to college so playing a role in introducing such crucial concepts at a young age leaves me feeling hopeful.
For anyone thinking about pursuing a Women Studies Gender Studies major or minor, I would encourage you to do it! The WSGS program has pushed me to expand my intellectual abilities, critical thinking, and analytical skills. While the WSGS program has fostered my growth as a student, more importantly, it has helped me grow to become a more knowledgeable, open minded, and radical human.
Maura Frank
Blog Post #1
My name is Maura Frank (they/them/theirs). I am a senior here at Loyola, where I am studying Global and International Studies with minors in Women’s and Gender Studies and Arabic Language and Culture. My academic areas of interest include queer theory (specifically queer theology and trans* studies), migration and border studies, postcolonial studies, and public health.
I decided to pursue a WSGS practicum when my mentor Dr. García Chávez offered me the opportunity to fulfill a Teaching Assistantship for his Queer Theory course. Queer Theory is the most transformative course I have taken in undergrad and truly changed my trajectory by sparking my interest in the more theoretical aspects of women’s and gender studies. Over the course of this practicum I hope to not only deepen my knowledge of the field of queer theory but connect theory with practice through active engagement with students and the rest of the teaching team. Throughout this experience I aim to explore the relationship of scholarship to lived experience in queer theory and how that plays out in a classroom environment.
This practicum has been an overwhelmingly positive experience thus far. My TA position actually started over the summer as we worked collaboratively on the syllabus in preparation for the beginning of the semester. Since the school year has started, I have enjoyed getting to know students, helping facilitate class discussions, holding weekly office hours, and sharing in the learning process. It is an honor and a joy to be involved and I look forward to continuing the work.
Blog Post #2
My name is Maura Frank. I am a senior in the interdisciplinary honors program majoring in Global Studies with minors in Arabic, Theology, and Women’s and Gender Studies. For the past seven weeks I have been working as a Teaching Assistant for WSGS 380: Queer Theory taught by Dr. Héctor García Chávez, a role I share with Ryan Richardson.
Over the course of this semester I have engaged with the teaching team and students in a number of different ways. My responsibilities as a TA include facilitating class discussion, responding to questions posed by students, coordinating course logistics, helping run the Sakai site for this class, reading and grading student assignments, and at times even presenting material. I also hold weekly office hours for students and regularly participate in collaborative meetings with Ryan and Dr. García Chávez to make sure we are all on the same page and that the course is running smoothly. As I go about my work, I find myself learning a great deal not only about queer theory but about other women’s and gender studies topics. An overarching question I have been working to address has been how lived experience and scholarship relate to one another in the context of queer theory. As students offer insights during discussions, they weave their own lives together with course material. Each student comes from a completely different place and holds a unique positionality. In the context of this course, this means that I as a TA must be aware of my own privilege and the role I play in upholding or dismantling different systems of oppression. These systems play out in different ways in the lives of students, as do the varying identities which students hold. The same goes for the teaching team. How does disability impact participation? How might an intersectional approach to teaching be more beneficial to a greater number of students? How does a student’s gender identity inform how they engage with texts that cover a wide range of subjects including trans embodiment and gender performativity? These are the questions that must be considered when leading a course like this. One outstanding moment during this course was the class session during which I took the wheel and presented my research, which involves coloniality, liberation theology, pilgrimage and queer theology. I found that this was extremely challenging but also immensely formative for me as both a student and a TA. Through my preparations for the presentation I not only had to expand my existing knowledge on the subjects involved, but I learned new skills in condensing large amounts of material and finding accessible ways to share complex topics. I grew in my understanding of how to engage with students at a number of different levels, how to connect theory to lived experience, and how to encourage people to consider new ideas without overwhelming them. I know that experience will prove to be extraordinarily valuable as I go forward in terms of pursuing social justice and working towards greater equity, especially in academia. I look forward to continuing to learn from everyone involved in this course.
Blog Post #3
Hello again! My name is Maura Frank and I’m a senior majoring in Global Studies with minors in Arabic, Theology, and Women’s and Gender Studies. I’m currently a Teaching Assistant for Dr. Héctor García Chávez’s undergraduate Queer Theory course (WSGS 380). My teaching assistantship began shortly before the official start of the semester with syllabus preparations, and I have been enjoying my work ever since.
Being a teaching assistant for this particular course has been very influential in terms of informing my future plans. First and foremost, my work as a TA has enhanced my desire to go into a teaching career. Dr. García Chávez has encouraged me to take a very active and involved role in helping direct the class, allowing me to gain skills from grading to facilitation that will be highly applicable to future teaching work. Learning how to design a syllabus, direct class discussion, formulate assignments, and hold office hours have all been instrumental in helping me see how I would enjoy the work of a professor. On a personal level, I have grown a great deal in my interpersonal communication skills, a development that I have noticed impacts my day-to-day life and interactions with others. Additionally, the texts we have read have helped me understand my own queer identity more fully, giving me the vocabulary and concepts to articulate my personal experiences, thoughts on who I am, and how I move about in the world. The theory we have studied throughout this course, as well as the lived experiences shared by students, have helped inform my positionality and outlook as an activist, equipping me with a more multidimensional understanding of social justice and potential paths toward another world that is possible.
One of my favorite moments from this practicum was when I got to present my personal work on queer theology during a class session early in the semester. I had spent the previous year researching pilgrimage, colonization, liberation theology and subversive religiosities in a project which culminated in a series of images reflecting my work. I had to condense this year’s worth of research into a 20-minute presentation, a constructive challenge in its own rite. I enjoyed the process of putting together this presentation to share with the class, but my favorite part was the discussion after I had concluded. As students collected their thoughts and started sharing their responses, I was able to take a step back and simply listen to the conversation that ensued. Students brought their unique perspectives to their reflections, engaging at a deep level and demonstrating a clear grasp of what had been presented. I was so proud, not only of myself but of the students for their sophisticated analysis and enthusiastic participation.
For those who are considering becoming a Women’s and Gender Studies major or minor, my advice is to go for it. Take the WSGS class that sounds most interesting to you, so you can feed your initial passion and have a solid starting point from which you can explore all that WSGS has to offer. The first WSGS class I took was a sociology course, and I immediately fell in love with studying these topics. There are so many courses that count towards the WSGS program, so dive right in and find what is most compelling for you within the field. I have never regretted my choice to study WSGS, and I hope that others can find similar fulfilment in this area!
Laura Patricio-Bellizzi
Blog Post #2
My name is Laura Patricio-Bellizzi. I am a WSGS major engaged in a legal internship with an elder justice initiative focused on criminal and civil advocacy. I have been working on this matter as an intern since January of 2021. The past eight weeks have been filled with discovery, productive implementation of legislative efforts, disenchantment with the sluggishness of change, and a deep sense of fulfillment knowing our team is making its very best effort to expand a legal matter into the realm of affecting modifications in public policy that better protects elders, most of whom are exceptionally vulnerable and socioeconomically impacted women.
This week I am to travel to the state of Nevada to meet with my team and engage in what is referred to as a settlement conference with a commercial banking entity and its former (terminated) employee-facing accusations (both civilly and criminally) of elder financial exploitation. This conference will likely conclude the civil component of our efforts. Meaning, The team filed a lawsuit. Instead of the case resulting in a jury trial, all the parties will meet and agree to a financial settlement that the bank and alleged culprits will pay because of their respective roles in the fraudulent financial fleecing of at least two elderly individuals.
In addition to seeking civil accountability, our team has assertively sought criminal liability against the individuals involved in this matter. ‘Due Process’ is a constitutionally delineated system implemented by the local, state, and federal government to protect the culprits and victims respectively within the Judicial system. As it applies to my internship- we have been working with the Major Crimes Division of the Nevada Department of Public Safety (NDPS) to seek justice on behalf of the victims in this matter. The Attorney General of the State of Nevada is currently deciding whether or not to prosecute this matter, which was investigated by the NDPS.
This past month, I have supported our attorneys’ underlying arguments in ongoing meetings with one of the Deputy Attorney Generals of Nevada, who does not seem to want to prosecute the case. It shocks the conscious and seems connected to missteps made in terms of the statute of limitations potentially being overlooked by both the prosecutorial and investigative arms of this matter. Further, the cases at hand are incredibly complex. They would seemingly be difficult for the AG to prosecute, as it would necessitate a jury trial, with people who may or may not understand all of the nuances of the law, and how they would apply in a way that would surpass the necessary level of extending beyond that of the ‘reasonable doubt’ essential to prosecute the perpetrators successfully. Further, it would take an extraordinary amount of time and a level of resources that the AG’s office doesn’t seem to want to expend.
Fortunately and unfortunately, The AG of Nevada is being held to task by a team of victims advocacy attorneys. Most victims of crimes are not afforded the luxury of an experienced attorney (with a dedicated team) devoted explicitly to pushing for criminal prosecution of the entity that victimized them. Regrettably, the Nevada AG Aaron Ford does not want to prosecute this matter, which from our perspective and almost three years of research seems like a ‘slam dunk.’ His reluctance to prosecute despite the overwhelming evidence has frankly become suspect. For several seemingly viable reasons (in addition to those mentioned above), one of which includes the inclusion of prosecutorial misconduct (meaning, he would be taking down one of his own-a district attorneys for lying to investigators). Thus, our team has made the tough decision to create a publicity campaign and file suit against the Nevada Attorney General for constitutional violations of Due process of law, coupled with failure to prosecute. Our team aims to illuminate both weaknesses in statute and further prosecutorial negligence. It was a tough decision to make, but in light of the shockingly apathetic and paltry ‘excuses’ the AG presented in his preliminary argument for not wanting to prosecute, we are seemingly left with no other option.
I now pause to reflect on how all of this correlates to Women and Gender Studies (WSGS). Systems exist all around us: invisible systems fastened to societies and cultures, congenital systems tethered to public policy, and spoken systems attached to individuals within hierarchies (interconnected to the aforementioned). All of these systems work en concert nefariously or judiciously, oftentimes to the benefit of one at the expense of another. WSGS critically examines these systems to understand their origins and impacts. It also equips those under its umbrella with the modalities that allow one to work collaboratively to recalibrate any findings of inequity and implement tangible change for the betterment of humankind.
My proverbial wheelhouse within this internship is focused on Elder Justice, and implementing my knowledge herein understand the challenges unique to an underserved demographic (elders; a population of which is predominantly women) and navigate a complex matrix of systems of power that thwart their overall well-being; in this instance, involving a component of the very system that is supposed to protect them (i.e., the Attorney General of the state of Nevada). We will aim to leverage the law to compel the judicial system to adhere to existing legislation directing Nevada’s Attorney General to take action or be held accountable civilly by our team. Further, we utilize their arguments to supplement our legislative amendment dossier. In garnering the attention of the press, we will aim to illuminate a matter vital to the publics’ interest. We will create momentum by aiming at the apathy and potential corruption in a prosecutorial body. This new trajectory will make additional momentum towards realizing our ultimate goal- legislative changes in fiduciary duty and statutes of limitations to protect the senior citizen demographic better.
Blog Post #3
My name is Laura Patricio-Bellizzi. I am a WSGS major working as a legal intern. My work concentrates on elder justice initiatives focused on criminal, civil, and legislative activism. I have been working as an intern since January of 2021. My internship location is in Nevada. However, I work remotely from Chicago, IL. The primary focus of my internship learning goal is to discover and implement better ways to protect vulnerable elders from financial abuse. As I navigate this experiential learning process, I do so from the vantage point of a Women and Gender Studies student. This lens allows me to see practices of power at the micro and macro levels and critically evaluate their impacts to institute positive shifts concerning inequitable practices.
The Women and Gender Studies program at Loyola University has been acatalyst of exponential personal and intellectual growth, creating a profoundly meaningful paradigmatic shift in my overall perspective. For instance, I am considered a “non-traditional student.” I am a generation older than most of my peers at Loyola. I am a mother of three daughters within the same age range as my classmates. Learning side-by- side with them about the impacts of universal systems of oppression has changed the way I relate and interact with my children. By confronting constraints that my generation is tethered to, I have had a transformational experience in how I interact and better understand the world around me, inclusive of my own concept of self.
The program’s pedagogical approach is empowering and collaborative. I contextualize a menagerie of unique, non-binary perspectives and amalgamate local and global concepts in a way that inspires me to reflect critically regarding potential solutions as a means of recognizing and deconstructing oppressive mores. The resulting intellectual growth I have experienced has been meaningful and motivating. WSGS has equipped me with the ability to synthesize historical and current societal constructs uniquely. Concepts include (but are not limited to) gendering, hegemony, binaries, oppression, liberation, and intersectional threads of human narratives on an international level. All of these elements have prolific cause-and-effect manifestations upon humanity.
Now, as I conclude my education in the coming weeks, I reflect with gratitude upon the WSGS program and how it has added inestimable advantages to my life and internship alike. The educational journey has equipped me with a tangible modalities and an invested outlook that allows me to add value to a criminal and civil litigation matter. It has inspired an well informed approach as I pursue legislative initiatives that will better protect a diverse segments that comprise the elderly population, inclusive of women and intersectional members of that community who are vulnerable and face a disproportionate level of risk. Accordingly I have a means of identifying and implementing change within a legal action as well as at the legislative level. The Loyola WSGS curriculum has exposed me to a wholly different dimension of the current human condition, most people are simply (yet profoundly) not aware of. With the enlightenment comes modalities that afford me to mobilize confidently and tackle socially systems of inequity that permeates the global community in a way that deconstructs, decolonizes, and subsequently leads to the implementation of modified approaches that aim to create a more equitable society at the local and global level.
The WSGS program has equipped me with an arsenal of knowledge that, when implemented, has allowed me to add distinct value to seemingly every aspect of my life. To those considering WSGS as a major or a minor? I will share that I had previously pursued psychology and had a keen interest in History, Political Science, Social Work, and Sociology. WSGS feels like an interdisciplinary combination of all aforementioned, albeit emphasizing the understanding and subsequent deconstruction systems of gendered systems of oppression. WSGS is refreshingly absent of objectifying labels. It inspires a motivational, solution-oriented approach to understanding and activism. And it instills an appreciation and learned necessity that leans towards non-binary ways of ‘being.’ At an institutional, cultural, and societal level, Women and Gender Studies confronts dysfunctional practices antithetical equity inclusion leading to a level of societal betterment of all of humanity. And? I am so incredibly grateful for this transformative education.
Women's Studies/Gender Studies Internship 