Hello everyone! My name is Abby Delio, I’m a senior here at the University of Rochester from Queensbury, New York. I’m a triple major in English, Psychology, and Gender Studies, with a minor in Spanish. I’m also one of the campus’ resident humanities enthusiasts, if you couldn’t tell from what I’m studying.
In high school, even though I took a lot of STEM courses, I was always super passionate about the humanities and humanistic social sciences. When I came to Rochester, I had absolutely no intention of being a triple major, but the multidisciplinary nature of the humanities courses I was taking helped me discover what I was interested in studying. It just goes to show you how easy it is to get involved in the humanities!
Throughout the year, I’ll be sharing more about the different humanities experiences here at Rochester, both inside and outside of the classroom. For now, here’s a little sneak peek of what I’m involved in!
Inside the classroom, there are a ton of really amazing humanities courses offered every semester. Because of the flexibility of the curriculum, you don’t have to major in the humanities in order to explore different classes. The professors are all super passionate about the subject material and because we are a tier one research university, there are plenty of opportunities for you (yes you) to get involved in research too! For me, I am writing an honors thesis from my Gender Studies major and I am also part of Meliora Scholars program which focuses on independent humanities research.
Outside the classroom, there are lots of jobs and student organizations that involve the humanities as well! Personally, I got involved with both The Opposite of People Theatre Company as well as ROC Players and have loved working with them both! If theater isn’t your thing, there are hundreds of student orgs to choose from that are super active and do amazing work, so be sure to get involved! If you’re not sure where to start, the activities fair at the beginning of each semester is a great way to see what clubs are out there or visit CCC.
I also have a few jobs around campus that put my humanities skills to work. I’m a Writing Fellow for the Writing Speaking and Argument program as well as a writing group leader. I’ve also been a part of a few unique programs on campus. I’ve studied abroad with the English department, worked with local community organizations, and been a part of the Humanities for Life Summer Internship program.
I know that was a lot of ground to cover, but I’ll be sure to talk in more detail about all these opportunities and more in future blog posts. I can’t wait to share more about the humanities here at the U of R with you!