Pavithra Venkataraman is a graduating Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies B.A. with a Specialization in Gender and Social Change and a Minor in Political Science and Philosophy. As graduation approaches, WGSS seniors reflect on their time in the department.
What made you pursue a Women’s and Gender Studies (WST) major/minor?
I came in as a freshman AMS major and quickly realized that I did not want to spend all my time in math classes. I took WST 102 with Suzanne Staub (amazing class!!) for an SBC requirement and fell in love with the content and the style of learning. I enjoyed being exposed to different issues and perspectives every week through a variety of readings and having the opportunity to discuss them with our class in a respectful way. I realized that it was important to me to make sure that I was learning as much as I could about the way the world works and how people are impacted by these systems, even if the topics are a little difficult at times. As someone who identifies with a few different minority identities, being able to learn about people like me as well as people not like me at all is eye-opening and has led me on a journey of personal growth as well as academic learning.
Are there any professors and/or classes that had an impact on you?
I have been fortunate enough to take many WST classes at SBU under some wonderful faculty, as well as related electives that fit into a WST curricula in some way. Something that I really enjoy about the program is that there are a wide variety of outside department classes that can correlate with other majors and minors that fulfill requirements and are extremely enjoyable classes themselves. SOC 340, taught by Cathy Marrone, is a class that I think every person who plans on being a parent in some way should consider taking. It completely changed my perspective on motherhood and parenthood and made me consider things that I didn’t even know there were to consider! Similarly, POL 330, taught by Juliette Passer, is an excellent introduction to the legal sphere of gender considerations and Professor Passer does a great job at giving you a general law overview without being too jargon-heavy. Within the WGSS department, I loved WST 398 with Nancy Hiemstra and have found myself referencing certain themes and patterns that we discussed in several other classes. Lastly, I took WST 408, the senior-thesis writing class, with Liz Montegary, and produced a thesis that I am extremely proud of. Professor Montegary is one of the best writing mentors I have ever had and expertly assisted our entire class in creating superb papers and projects.
What was your experience like in the WGSS department?
The WGSS department has been one of my favorite parts of attending SBU. The faculty and advisors are the most caring, understanding, and supportive and there is never any doubt that they are looking out for your best interests. Classes are focused on making sure we learn something valuable, rather than grades and numbers, and that is reflected in the participation you see in each class. Advising is personalized, easy to access, and useful and has been a blessing to me many times when I had a quick question or concern. I do my best to convince everyone I know to try out a WST class or two, and have even converted a few minors and majors! I always say that the WST major has taught me about the things I didn’t even know there were to learn about, and I wouldn’t want to go through life without actively seeking out as many of these topics as I possibly can. I’m grateful to the program for providing me with these opportunities!
What do you plan on doing in the future?
When I graduate, I plan to attend law school and pursue a legal degree. I have always wanted to work with and help people, and my time at SBU has shown me that law is the place where I can use my skills to make the most change and help the most people. I want to work within the government and pursue public interest opportunities in such a way that I can help create change that helps to balance some of the discrimination that exists in our world. The WST major has shown me that injustice can exist and act in nuanced ways and that it takes an open mind and a willingness to learn to understand and combat this injustice. If you are on the fence, I would definitely recommend pursuing Women’s and Gender Studies or at least dipping your toes in the water! I guarantee you will learn something from it.