Verrazano Graduate's Path to Legal Field

Deanna Caccavale, Verrazano Class of 2018, completed major in Political Science and minors in Italian Studies and Legal Studies 
 
My time spent as a student in the Verrazano program has been very enriching. The Verrazano program gave me the tools I need to succeed in life. Upon entering into this program, I did not realize I would be gaining a new family. I have formed unbreakable bonds and learned life lessons that will last a lifetime. I’m sad to see my college experience come to a close, but I am super excited to see what the future has in store for me. For the next chapter of Verrazano students, my advice to you is to never take anything for granted. Make sure to study and work hard, but also don’t forget to enjoy your college experience because before you know it you’ll be graduating. 

Throughout my college career, I’ve had the privilege of partaking in many internships to help solidify my decision to enter the legal profession. These internships provided me with insight about the legal field. I observed attorneys working zealously for their clients to ensure that justice was served. Ever since I was a little girl, I had a dream of becoming an attorney. Being an attorney has always been a passion of mine because I want to ensure that everyone in society is treated justly under the law. 

At the commencement of my junior year at CSI, I began to work on my Senior thesis. I decided to tackle the issue of gender discrimination in the work profession. Specifically, my goal was to understand why it is difficult for women to obtain promotions within prestigious law firms in society. This is an important issue because gender does not only affect women entering the legal profession, but it has affects women in all professions within society. Women need to be aware of the issues they face in the United States to help provide a better future for the youth.  

Deanna with Professor Paris 

 

Voting Practices in the UK and USA and Their Outcomes

Richard Valiente, Class of 2019, completed majors in Business Management & Political Science, & minors in Business Finance & Legal Studies
 

Having so many interests to choose with my majors made

taking on a capstone project a very daunting task at first, and for a while I had no idea what I wanted to research or write about. I knew I wanted to find a topic that would touch upon both of these fields but there were just so many different topics to choose from. While contemplating various research projects, the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum was suggested by one of my classmates. This referendum touched upon both of my interests and involved a nation and continent that I would be visiting soon for the first time. I couldn’t have been more excited to know that this is what I wanted to research.

With the help of several faculty members and the Honors 301 seminar class I was able to narrow down this complex idea into a thesis question that would focus on the influence of populism on the referendum vote. This topic piqued my interest because of its relevance to today’s political and economic atmosphere. My capstone research looked into what motivated voters, as well as what is to come as a result of the 2016 vote in favor of a British exit. With the help of my mentor and Honors 301 professor, I was able to get a better understanding of how to develop my capstone and write a research paper.

Using the outcome of the vote, I analyzed voting patterns along with several campaign messages from various political parties throughout the European Union. This helped my understanding of pressing issues in the United Kingdom as well as differences in political ideologies. I learned that the nationalist ideology that swept voters off their feet to vote was an ideology that was seen before in several other countries throughout Europe. One of the research papers I read explained the influence of populism on European countries and how it has been transformed into a nationalist movement by many political parties and leaders. The more I did research the more intrigued I was. For example, I found similarities and connections between my research and the 2016 presidential elections in United States that made it even more interesting.

Through my capstone experience I have learned so much about research and have come to appreciate it in a new way. This capstone experience has given me skills that I couldn’t have learned otherwise, from learning to conduct in-depth research with classmates and other professionals, to learning about the artistry behind every phrase and sentence. To further this research, I would like to someday take a look back at the research I conducted and compare it to the realized effects of the United Kingdom’s departure on the world economy and political state. In several years many implications that scholars have proposed will have materialized and it will be interesting to see how the influence of populism and nationalist movements have impacted them.