Senior Spotlight: Julia Louizides '20

Julia Louizides (she, her, hers), a senior from Ridgewood, New Jersey, answers questions about her career as an anthropology major at Kenyon.

Who is your advisor?

Ed Schortman (junior and senior years) and Sam Pack (sophomore and part of junior year).

Are you involved in any other departments?

My only major is anthropology, but I’ve loved my other classes in creative writing, religious studies and music.

Do you belong to any campus organization?

Yes! I am a Kenyon Review Associate, a Sexual Respect Peer Alliance (SRPA) peer supporter, a Senior Admissions Fellow, and I was a member/former service co-chair of Archons.

What made you decide to major in Anthropology?

I first came to love anthropology in Professor Pack’s "Intro to Cultural Anth" class sophomore year. I declared the major during that course, never having taken any other classes in the discipline. Before finding my way to anthropology, I felt for a while that I was searching for something that studied people and the ways we interact with each other and view ourselves, etc. I tried philosophy, religious studies and English on for size and they were all lovely but didn’t fit quite as my major. Beyond the subject itself being appealing, I could tell how nurturing and knowledgeable the anthropology faculty is and wanted to get to know them more and be a part of Kenyon’s anthropology community.

What are some of the anthropology courses you enjoyed most?

I have gotten a lot out of all of my anthropology classes but my favorites have been "Intro to Cultural Anth," "Commodities and Consumption," the senior seminar and "Medical Anth from a Biocultural Perspective" (currently in progress). This department’s senior seminar is really special. I found that it brought together all of the senior majors to reflect on our anthropological knowledge to date, think about how it will inform our lives/worldviews going forward, and ground us in our identities as young anthropologists. This is one course I really wish was all year long.

Any thoughts on study abroad?

Yes! I studied abroad in Nepal, Jordan and Chile focusing on comparative human rights and I was excited to learn that our traveling faculty member was an anthropologist! Because of this, the program had a really anth-y feel which was such a treat. Our main project throughout the entire semester was to conduct research in each location on any topic of our choosing related to human rights. My topic focused on the use of religion in social movements and activism around issues such as LGBTQ+ rights, women’s rights, and reproductive justice. Having the chance to see anthropology at work in contexts outside of Kenyon was a very special and formative experience for me in my academic life. I would definitely encourage anthropology majors to study abroad if you can!

What would be the best advice you would give to younger students?

Make sure you take time to step away from your academic life and really enjoy Kenyon and the people around you. After a while, I ended up dedicating my Saturdays to "fun days" and just spending them doing things that made me feel happy or relaxed or however I needed to feel. Enjoy your time as a Kenyon student because it’s over in a flash. 😞 ❤

What is something you regret about your time at Kenyon?

I regret not taking classes in WGS and sociology and not continuing with Spanish. I have a goal to be fluent in Spanish someday, so I’m excited to keep going with this but a bit bummed I wasn’t able to stick with it in college. Aside from this, I had a bunch of Kenyon bucket list items to accomplish before the end of the year and those will have to see the light of day at another time and perhaps in a different form.

Is there a professor that has had a significant impact on your time here at Kenyon?

Ed Schortman has had a profound impact on my time at Kenyon, the way I see the world and experience anthropology, and the kind of person I hope to become. He is simultaneously hilarious and brilliant and it is so clear how genuinely he cares about his students and recognizes us as full human beings rather than just students (which I think is an extremely important quality in a college professor).

Have you participated in any summer internship experiences?

Yes! I’ve had summer internship/research opportunities at American Jewish World Service, in the office of Senator Cory Booker and through the anthropology department as a part of the Kenyon Summer Science Scholars program.

Do you have any post-grad plans?

As of right now, I don’t have any solid post-grad plans. However, I’m applying for jobs and looking forward to working for a few years before looking into options for grad school. I have lots of different interests but have been consistently excited by applied anthropology. I’m very open to seeing where life takes me!

What is your greatest memory from the department?

I don’t have one specific memory I can point to as my greatest but I will say that the anthropology department managed to organically weave itself into my life and become a real part of my identity during college. I am reminded by this question of a bunch of smaller moments that really support my love for the department (time with professors in office hours, petting the Kenyon anth dogs, working on a big research paper with one of my best friends, encountering hilarious little dogs while researching with Ed). Lately, I’ve been remembering these moments and feeling a range of emotions but mostly overwhelming warmth and gratitude.