student stories


Charlie Johnson Takes an Interdisciplinary Approach to International Religious Freedom


Charlie Johnson Takes an Interdisciplinary Approach to International Religious Freedom

Charlie Johnson

Charlie Johnson grew up here in Lawrence, but with a quadruple major in Religious Studies, Political Science, History, and Global & International Studies, his studies have taken him great distances away from the Hill. During his time at KU, Johnson has been a part of an internship through the Army University Press, research on the Druze religion in the Levant, and so much more. Looking ahead, he hopes to work in international human rights law or foreign policymaking. Learn more about Johnson’s College story below.

Jiyoon Park seeks a future in politics from Topeka to Capitol Hill


Jiyoon Park seeks a future in politics from Topeka to Capitol Hill

Jiyoon Park with the text 'Sophomore, Topeka, KS; Major: Political science, Global & International Studies, Environmental Studies; Minor: Intelligence & National Security Studies'

Jiyoon Park, a second-year Jayhawk, grew up in Topeka, just miles away from the state capitol building. Lawrence has always felt like a second home to him, since his mom teaches here, and he has always been around. Now triple-majoring in Political Science, Global & International Studies, and Environmental Studies, Park looks forward to a future in politics, including working in areas of lobbying and national security.

KU senior Jade Groobman works to create anti-racist spaces for Jews of Color


KU senior Jade Groobman works to create anti-racist spaces for Jews of Color

Jade Groobman
major: Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
minors: Political Science and American Studies

KU senior Jade Groobman had long been interested in the many misconceptions that exist about Jewish identity. And as an Asian American Jew herself, she experienced first-hand what she describes as a disconnect between the U.S.’s larger Jewish population and Jewish community members of color.

Nikki Brown explores civic engagement in the Latinx community


Nikki Brown explores civic engagement in the Latinx community

Nikki Brown 
majors: Political Science, Sociology & American Studies
minor: Social Justice

Nikki Brown discovered her passion for politics, cross-cultural sociology, and pop culture through an American Identities class during her freshman year. Now a junior in the McNair Scholars program, she’s conducting interdisciplinary research on Latinx voting and political attitudes in the 2020 election.

Discover what's growing at KU's Community Garden


Discover what's growing at KU's Community Garden

Bags of colorful produce spread out on the ground of a garden area.

Text: A tour of KU's Community Garden with Ashley Wojciechowski, Kayla Clouse, and Haley Burrill, ecology and evolutionary biology

Long before COVID reared its ugly head, many Lawrence and KU community members were struggling to access nutritious food on a regular basis. As the health and economic crises ignited by the pandemic accelerated, so too did the already rampant problem of food insecurity.

Sam Glaser seeks to better understand coronavirus protein


Sam Glaser seeks to better understand coronavirus protein

Sam Glaser

Major: Physics (Pre-Medicine)
Minors: Philosophy and Spanish

Sam Glaser wanted to chart his own course at KU. As a student in the College, he was able to do just that by creating his own major. Recognizing the need for a pre-medicine-specific concentration within the physics B.S. program, Sam reached out to program directors across the country and began mapping out a plan for the new concentration area.

15 KU College moments from an extraordinary year


15 KU College moments from an extraordinary year

2020 in the Heart of KU text in the sky over a building on campus

2020 has been — well, take your pick of adjective: Difficult. Uncertain. Unpredictable. Unprecedented. Challenging. By now, we’ve all heard and used these words so many times that they hardly do justice to the collective whiplash and mind-boggling paradigm shifts we’ve adjusted to during the past months.

Abigail Vegter investigates religion, politics and gun ownership in America


Abigail Vegter investigates religion, politics and gun ownership in America

Abigail Vegter
Ph.D. political science, 4th year

Religion and politics in America can be messy, divisive, and contentious, certainly. But, as Abigail Vegter points out, the topics are anything but boring. In her doctoral research in KU’s Political Science program, Abigail is looking at the overlapping issues of gun policy and religious and political beliefs in the United States.

Myra Dotzel uses lessons in visual art to solve problems in STEM


Myra Dotzel uses lessons in visual art to solve problems in STEM

Myra Dotzel

majors: computer science + mathetmatics

minor: visual art

There’s a common stereotype that those who are creatively gifted are naturally bound to pursue arts and the humanities, while students skilled in math and logic are more well-suited for career paths in STEM. But for KU senior Myra Dotzel, these different areas of interest presented not so much a choice but a question: Why not do both?

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