Undergraduate Degree
The first time I visited the University of Houston I knew that it would be the right fit for me. Little did I know at the time how great my experiences at UH would be and how amazing and supportive the professors and faculty are. Learning how to think through a true liberal education has made me into a better person and a better citizen thanks to the hard-working faculty of UH.
As a part of my liberal education, the Liberal Studies program at UH introduced me to a wide range of readings and perspectives which has helped me incorporate different topics together to see how they impact each other.
The Political Science department in the College of Liberal Studies and Social Sciences taught me more than I could have ever expected about how the world functions. I find political science so interesting because it’s a study of how government, organizations, and systems that we all rely on work. Without these important institutions in place, there would be no way for society to advance as a whole. Understanding how these systems work has convinced me how vital it is for the public good that there is a well-educated populace.
Honors College professors taught the classes for the Phronesis minor with topics focusing on laws, ethics, and morals from ancient times to current dilemmas we face in society with these very same questions. These classes made me think about big questions surrounding what I thought about history, philosophy, and policy along with how a democratic society should function.
The Honors College at the University of Houston played a central role in my undergraduate education at UH. Through the Honors College, I took a great books course called the Human Situation which challenged me, helped me grow as a person, and taught me how to better analyze literature. This is an example of the type of work I did in this class during my first year of college. This course allowed me to hear varying perspectives from different professors within the Honors College. It also gave me invaluable experiences to hear and meet knowledgeable people outside the university speak on different topics and have informative conversations that are relevant to my life.
Education Research
I worked with the College of Education on a National Science Foundation research grant that looked at the Robert Noyce Scholarship and the success of Texas colleges' STEM teacher preparation programs. This experience taught me many useful skills such as how to do academic research and it gave me insight about how teachers are trained and educated in Texas. This project further increased my interest with the issues pertaining to public education and gave me the chance to learn more about the history and laws surrounding teaching requirements in Texas.
I was a part of the University of Houston’s accelerated law program through the Honors College. I was one of five applicants chosen in the inaugural class to have this opportunity to be able to complete both my undergraduate degree and my law degree in six years and one of the three applicants who went onto law school early. But the 3+3 Program is more than about going to law school early; it provided a community of close friends and mentors who have helped foster my academic interests.
The Tier One Scholarship Committee awarded me the Tier One Scholarship after my acceptance into the University of Houston based upon my high school involvement, grades, and an interview with current students and professors at UH. This scholarship gave me the amazing opportunity to get my undergraduate degree debt free. This will allow me to give back to my community through working with education issues without having to worry about undergraduate debt.