SENIOR COHORT: Honesty

Eddie Bankston

Liberal Arts Honors Program, African & African Diaspora Studies, Philosophy, and Humanities

I have used much of my time in the program trying to expand my understanding of the world around me and also myself. I am now a Senior, double–majoring in African and African Diaspora Studies and Humanities, and I am grateful for all of the opportunities that the program has enabled me to take advantage of.

In the fall, I read books and wrote poetry. I took classes that pushed me to think critically about some of my favorite authors. The reflections which emerged out of the class, and spontaneous conversations with my professors, led me to begin writing a novel of my own, currently titled, The House on Roberta Ave. At the same time, I began interning with one of my professors. I was able to transcribe interviews and conduct literature reviews. This research opportunity provided me with critical questions about migrations that figure centrally in my senior thesis planning.

In the spring, I traveled to London for the second time to present the research I conducted with my friends, William Hearne, and Joshua Russell. We connected with black British faculty and students to gain a better understanding of their experiences in university in the UK. Once I returned, I was able to intern with a local non–profit organization to conduct oral history interviews for them. This experience was part of a greater project to archive student activism in Austin. I am currently in the midst of planning a black cultural arts fest with my friend and fellow scholar, Joshua Russell. We have connected with community organizers in Austin, to learn how to give back to the community in creative and meaningful ways. Finally, I was able to take a multi–city research trip to visit museums and meet with organizers to learn about African American spirituality in the Great Migration.

I am grateful to Julie, Marck, and Michael for always encouraging me to THINK BIG. And thank you to the Dedmans for empowering me to grow through experience.

Nina Mbonu

Plan II and Human Development & Family Sciences

Aditya Namjoshi

Plan II and Chemical Engineering 

One of the highlights of my junior year was taking my first class as an official history major: Thinking Like a Historian. This was a deeply enriching class that taught me many of the critical thinking skills required of historians. We had the opportunity to read and write about primary and secondary sources related with the trial of the last Mughal emperor in India, Bahadur Shah Zafar. Spending time in this class reaffirmed my desire to pursue my Plan II Thesis on the memory of the Nawab Wajid Ali Shah of Awadh.

This year I took Urdu classes at UT for the first time, continuing my study of the language with a focus on Urdu poetry and short stories. I loved both of my Plan II Junior Seminar classes – Community Engagement in Higher Education with the guidance of Dr. Gururaj and Mallory, and Infant Nutrition with the inspiring Dr. Abrams. They were certainly amongst my favorite classes at UT so far.

This year, I finally explored Austin outside of the limits of the UT campus, visiting Barton Springs and Enchanted Rock for the first time, and hiking with Avi and Ingrid. In my free time, I have been active in organizing community events within the South Asian community and reading and listening to poetry from my favorite Urdu poets.

In the Fall, I also had the incredible opportunity to join the Belardi Lab, working with my incredible graduate student mentor to load proteins into nanoparticles for drug delivery in the small intestine. I am continuing my engineering research in the Belardi lab this summer, homing in on transcellular and paracellular transport across the small intestine for drug delivery. For my senior year, I am looking forward to continuing my research. I’m grateful to the Dedman community, including our mentor Dr. Lee, Dr. Musick and Julie, and my cohort members for all their support, and I’m looking forward to the Fall semester and my senior year at UT!

Isabel Webb-Carey

Plan II

The past 12 months have been a lesson in mobility.

After a summer in Washington, D.C., a semester in Austin, a winter at home with my family in London, five months in Mexico City, I now find myself working as an intern in New York. My presence was never neutral; it never can be, I’ve come to learn. Mobility is an immense privilege and would not have been possible without the support of the Dedman program.

But distance really does make the heart grow fonder, and my one remaining suitcase handle is looking a little threadbare. I now look forward to reflecting on my experiences and enjoying my final year at UT surrounded by a community that I have come to cherish.

As a plain old Plan II major without any bells and whistles, I’m still working on what to tell people when they ask me what I study. As I enter into my fourth year of university, I think an answer is formulating. I am interested in ‘place’ and how it defines individual possibility. As global warming looms large, the power our environment wields over our lives will become painfully obvious. The question we must ask ourselves is, who will bear that pain? My senior thesis on transnationalism, gentrification, and self perception among expat populations in Mexico City will probe some of those themes and enrich my understanding of macroeconomic environments that dictate international migratory flows. I also look forward to joining the Texas Houser Academy to support my work in housing advocacy and continuing to support other students with writing tasks.

Dance returned to my life in Mexico City, and I don’t want to lose it again. Something else I took from Mexico City is the phrase “te invito” – I invite you. I hope to go through my adult life inviting people to the (allegorical) dance floor, celebrating community through movement and engagement.