Karyna Colyer is a graduating Health Science B.S and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Minor. 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 grew up in a small rural college town, was raised by a single mother, and had the opportunity to attend an all-girls boarding high school, consisting of international students. I honestly didn’t experience much blatant sexism until college because I was fortunate enough to grow up steeped in feminism. My background presented me with the female experience in a lot of different ways and helped me realize and solidify my position as a woman. The events leading up to and during the 2016 Women’s March though, opened my eyes to just how alive and well sexism is in this country, and that gender and sexuality continue to be weaponized. With the exposure I had coming into college, I knew gender and gender studies were extremely important to me. I began my minor as a sophomore and was finally given vocabulary and theories that explained what I had been seeing for years. It was a baffling first semester of classes because I thought as a woman, who grew up around a variety of women, I knew what it meant to be a woman, but I quickly learned how naïve I was. Having the option to pursue WGSS as a minor allowed me to have a more holistic college experience, and helped me develop my interpersonal and professional skills from research to outreach. Coupled with my major in health science, I hope to someday work with underserved women and children, preferably in healthcare education and advocacy. I hope to give back to the communities that have shaped me, and without the deeper knowledge and understanding I gained through my minor I would not be able to do that.

Are there any professors and/or classes that had an impact on you?

I had Professor Khan, who is an adjunct professor I believe, for WST102. She changed my entire outlook on sociology and human interactions. She gave me and our entire class so much knowledge and made us all feel so comfortable while learning it. She made sure we always asked questions no matter how shallow or in-depth, and always gave thorough answers with real life examples. Her ability to help us understand the intricacies of human bodies, social structures, and power dynamics was remarkable. I have taken lessons from that class and use them every single day while also doing what I can to pass on the knowledge that I gained in that class to my friends, family, and peers.

What was your experience like in the WGSS department?

I never felt like I was minoring in “feminism” though, or just women’s studies. I took classes that gave me completely new perspectives on the male experience, and the queer, trans, and LGBTQ experience in general. By developing a broader understanding of all of these things, I think I became a better student, sister, friend, partner, and ally. Taking even just an intro WST class can change a person’s entire perspective, and being involved in this department has been one of my best decisions in college, one that I would recommend to anyone.