GWS welcomes 4 incoming MA students: Rodlyn-mae Banting, Jenny Fierro-Padilla, Sonia Olmos, and Amy Pearce. Below, please find brief bios for each of them; more information can be found on their respective pages, which are linked below.
Rodlyn (she/her) plans to focus her studies on the history of Philippine colonial violences and how their legacies play out in the Filipinx diaspora. She is particularly interested in exploring how Filipina self-conceptualization and social identity are shaped by the white (male) gaze. Her work is influenced by Black feminist thought and post-colonial theory.
Jenny (she/her) is originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As an Alverno College alumna, a college built on a feminist curriculum, she was given opportunities to unravel particular research interests which include but are not limited to: gender in the early modern period, historical female figures, Mexican folklore, magical realism, women in literature, gender-based violence and advocacy. She has a fond admiration for writing and hopes to one day find the tools necessary to incorporate facets of her interests in the work she eventually produces. She draws influence from Latina and Black feminist scholarship, and her favorite novel, The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende.
Sonia (she/her) is currently interested in Chicana/Latina feminism during the 1960s and 1970s in the Midwest.
Amy (she/her) is interested in gender, sexuality, reproduction, race, social class, and how those intersect with justice movements. Her research focus is on reproductive rights as seen through a reproductive justice framework as an alternative to the pro-choice vs. pro-life dichotomy.