Month: January 2024

WGSS Alumni Spotlight: Adam Kocurek

Posted on by and

About Adam Kocurek (he/him)

Education

  • Graduation Year: 2016
  • Major: Dual degree in History and WGSS
  • Minor: English

Community Involvement

  • VAWPP (Violence Against Women Prevention Program) Peer Facilitator at the Women's Center
  • Resident Assistant for the Residential Life
  • Employed with the Writing Center
  • Internship as a TA for WGSS Professor
  • Internship with Appellate Printing Press

Post Graduation

  • Ph.D. candidate in History at The CUNY Graduate Center
  • Adjunct lecturer at Hunter College

    Adam Kocurek

    Testimonial

    "I work as a Ph.D. candidate in New York City and teach as an adjunct lecturer at Hunter College. WGSS gave me the supportive academic community and critical thinking and research skills necessary for me to enter my Ph.D. program. The faculty, staff, and other students in WGSS, as well as the other resources on campus like the Writing Center, were instrumental in developing my skills as a budding scholar and educator. The critical feminist pedagogical philosophy and analytical skills I honed through WGSS are highly valued in my work as an educator and researcher, and I credit the mentors I had in WGSS for getting me to where I am today. My advice to current WGSS students is to take full advantage of all the resources available to you at the university, take on as many classes and internship opportunities as possible to broaden your mind and professional spheres, and take the initiative to forge community with your peers. Be kind and generous with yourself, as with others."

    WGSS Alumni Spotlight: Castella Copeland-Smith

    Posted on by

    About Castella Copeland-Smith (she/they)

    Education

    • Graduation Year: 2017
    • Major: Political Science, Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Human Rights
    • Minor: Urban Studies

    Community Involvement

    • Women's Center Worker
    • Windsor Human Relations Commission
    • The National BLACK Cooperative
    • United States Figure Skating Association (USFSA)

    Post Graduation

    • Master's at UConn Neag School of Education, Educational Psychology CILT
    • Doctorate degree at Liberty University for Educational Leadership
    • Current position: Assistant Director of First Year Experience Program, UConn

    Castella Copeland-Smith

    Testimonial

    "I started off in PreK-12 education shortly after earning my bachelor's degrees. My first career path allowed me to apply skills I learned from WGSS in a way that meaningfully impacted student growth and educational success. WGSS taught me to see the whole person, to listen and understand where students are coming from with empathy. As a teacher, I was able to take these communication skills and mentor students to understanding their sense of identity over time. Guiding students towards empowerment and resilience gave them the tools to find that they have strength to accomplish their goals. WGSS was the next step in my academic and personal identity journey the continued growth across a multitude of platforms. Thanks to my WGSS major, I felt welcomed and was able to lean on my peers, mentors, and find community. Without the skills that I developed through internships, research projects, and presentations with WGSS, I would not be who I am today. I can truly attribute much of my success to the applicable growth from this WGSS program. To this day I still use the skills I have learned as I wrap up my doctoral degree and enter new leadership roles."

    WGSS Alumni Spotlight: Amber Sagan

    Posted on by and

    About Amber Sagan (she/her/hers)

    Education

    • Graduation Year: 2021
    • Major: Biological Sciences
    • Minor: Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

    Community Involvement

    • Hayley Petit Violence and Injury Prevention Fellowship through the Connecticut Children's Hospital
    • Internship at the CT Harm Reduction Alliance

      Post Graduation

      • Master's of Public Health at UConn
      • Prevention Specialist at Wheeler Clinic, working on the Change the Script statewide campaign

      Testimonial

      "Taking courses in WGSS expanded my awareness of various social injustices and inequities. I became inspired to try to make a change on these issues, similar to how my WGSS professors had. I discovered the Hayley Petit Injury and Violence Prevention Fellowship my junior year, a fellowship for college women in STEM. After this fellowship, I pivoted my career goals from healthcare to public health. During my Master's of Public Health education, I further strengthened my WGSS skills by analyzing how social determinants of health such as race, gender, and income lead to inequities in health. I attended the 2022 Annual Public Health Association conference, where I learned about innovative WGSS research from experts in the field such as Loretta Ross. I graduated with my MPH in 2023, and I am currently a Prevention Specialist at Wheeler Clinic. I work on the Change the Script campaign- a statewide campaign to rewrite the narrative around substance use and prevent overdoses. I engage in community outreach to educate individuals about safe substance use, storage, and disposal and the opioid reversal drug, naloxone.


      The knowledge and skills I gained through my WGSS coursework transfer into my current position in various ways. For example, I am able to view public health issues through an intersectional lens, such as how an individual's race, gender, and sexuality may create a unique experience when struggling with a substance use disorder. I have also developed skills in communicating with the community, by using gender-affirming care and creating a safe, respectful environment for meaningful discussions. My WGSS education has aided me in every step of my academic and professional career."