ELIZABETH SHIREY ‘10
Hometown: Sacramento, CA
Major: English and French
 


"I’ve shamelessly relied on my wonderful professors for help in internship and career guidance, and they’ve consistently come through for me with letters of recommendation and offers to meet. The Center for Work and Service is also very open, accommodating, and patient, and I’ve appreciated the advice I’ve received there on my resume and cover letters."

- Elizabeth

NEXT PROFILE >

FAVORITE COURSE: One of my favorite courses was Intro to Women’s Studies (WOST 120), which I took in my first year. Taught by an extremely demanding and ridiculously intelligent professor, this class challenged the basic ways I thought about the world and my life. I began to look at my surroundings with a new lens, and I credit this course with changing me the most.

YOUR PERSPECTIVES ON ACADEMICS: Studying French at Wellesley has been a fun ride, and I think that the fact that I had no plans to major in French before coming is a tribute to the strength of the program. I had a challenging but charming professor in my first semester (now my advisor and a friend, as well as the director of the study abroad program I’ll attend in France next year), and I’m now in my third semester with another professor, who I adore for her quirky and utterly French ways. The program is so much more interactive and pleasant than my boring, rules- and grammar-based language study in high school, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed every class.

My English major has also led me on an interesting journey, and I feel like I’ve been able to experience many facets of literature just in my two years here. My Queer Lit (ENG 286) class in my first year enabled me to read books that I never would’ve been exposed to in a high school English course, and the discussion was lively and enlightening. I also enjoyed intellectual discussion on classic novels in my Victorian Novel (ENG 272) class, and now I’m able to explore British comedy in my Restoration Literature class (ENG 234). The English Department’s offerings are vast, and English professors’ personalities are just as varied as the courses they teach.

I’ve shamelessly relied on my wonderful professors for help in internship and career guidance, and they’ve consistently come through for me with letters of recommendation and offers to meet. The Center for Work and Service is also very open, accommodating, and patient, and I’ve appreciated the advice I’ve received there on my resume and cover letters.

I definitely value Wellesley’s facilities as well; I feel that there is always the perfect space for the area I’m pursuing. I’ve done night observing at the Whitin Observatory in my astronomy class, taken a theatre class in Alumnae Hall, taken far too many photographs on walks around the lake, examined minerals in a lab in the Science Center, and hidden in a corner of the quiet library during finals period.

BEST THING ABOUT A WOMEN’S COLLEGE: In retrospect, I can’t believe that I considered attending any coed college. After attending a girls’ high school, the transition to Wellesley was very natural, and I’ve never regretted my choice. I feel that the environment at a women’s college is open and nurturing; students are free to express themselves and explore different interests. At a place like Wellesley, this kind of self-discovery is coupled with demanding expectations and high motivation, which makes for a killer combination of talented and balanced women.

Attending a women’s college has also reshaped the world for me in many ways. I often forget that women are devalued in wider society, and I feel that Wellesley prepares us to fend off this ignorance instead of passively absorbing it.

DREAM JOB: My idea of a dream job is in constant flux. Some days, I absolutely want to pursue the legal track and make it all the way from Harvard Law to Supreme Court clerk to lawyer to judge to Supreme Court justice. Some days, I’d like to either channel (or discover) some amount of artistic talent and become a screenwriter or film critic. Other days, I’d like to become a Navy linguist, preferably fluent in some sort of Eastern European language like Russian or Serbian. Clearly, my career path is muddled, but I’m hoping to sort it out with an internship this summer and further guidance through my courses and professors. I do not have concrete plans after graduation, as I don’t feel that a 25-year plan is the way to experience life. However, I’m currently considering law school a few years after graduation.

FUN FACT: As a child, I was obsessed with “The Sound of Music,” and I still think it’s one of the most uplifting and gorgeous films ever made. I rely on it as a confidence-booster, reminding me that sometimes good can triumph and, well, sometimes people can break out into song in the streets of Salzburg. Imagine the amount of stuttering and blushing I did when I got to meet Julie Andrews at the Wellesley Booksmith last year!


 





                               
Office of Admission
Last Modified on March 21, 2008
Expires on September 30, 2008