Meet our new Campus Celeb, Jordan Thomas! When Jordan is not working on her big honors thesis, tutoring at the Writing Center, or teaching as a psych stats TA, she might be hanging out at campus bar with friends or binge watching 30 Rock. And, while by the looks of her extracurriculars, it might seem like she’s done it all on campus, but this senior still has some things on her Conn bucket list she wants to check off before graduating! Check out all of the awesome experiences Jordan has had as well as her future plans!
Class Year: 2015
Hometown: Cedar Falls, Iowa
Major: Psychology
Minor: East Asian Studies
Extracurricular activities: Psychology Department Teaching Assistant, Connecticut College Psychology Journal Co-Editor, Psi Chi National Honor Society Executive Board, Roth Writing Center Tutor, College Relations Photographer, Intern at Safe Futures Domestic Violence Center in New London
You’re working on a big research project! Want to talk about that at all?
Sure! I’m doing a psychology honors thesis on women’s experiences with pelvic examinations. Over the past nine months, I have collected quantitative and qualitative data from over 150 Connecticut College women students, asking them about what they know about their reproductive health, how they feel about gynecological health care and its efficacy at screening for health issues, and about their first experience having a pelvic examination. My results have shown me that women experience their reproductive health care in diverse and interesting ways, and that many women don’t even know what pelvic examinations entail or why they’re necessary — pretty scary to think that we may often let doctors examine us gynecologically without even knowing why they are doing an examination in the first place! It’s my hope that this type of research could contribute to sexual and reproductive health education reform, as well as help improve the pelvic examination and gynecological health care in general for women.
What is your favorite organization or club that you have been involved in?
I have loved working with the Psychology Department in a variety of roles, be that as a researcher, a teaching assistant, a journal editor, and — most importantly — as a student.
The department has given me so much — intellectually, professionally, and personally — and the faculty and students alike have instilled in me a sense of what it truly means to work with and try to understand other people.
Have you had an awesome internship experience?
Working as an intern with Safe Futures — the domestic violence and sexual assault center in New London — has been an incredibly empowering experience for me. As an intern, I answer the 24-hour crisis hotline and work one-on-one with women seeking domestic violence counseling and shelter services. In addition to working with survivors, I have had the wonderful privilege of becoming quite close with my co-workers. Our ease of connection comes, in part, from the nature of the work we do. We come to this work from a shared perspective — women matter — and having that shared perspective informs our relationships and ease of connection to clients and with one another. Working with and getting to know women who are different from me — be that in terms of racial and ethnic background, socioeconomic status, education level, even age and its accompanying amount of life experience — has been illuminating and inspiring. Our discussions have ranged from race relations and the patriarchy to upcoming and/or recent nuptials, and through these conversations, I have grown and challenged myself, expanded my worldview, and felt like a member of a community beyond this campus and Mohegan Avenue.
Guilty Pleasure: Binge watching 30 Rock and working on my night cheese.
What’s your spirit animal? Liz Lemon.
What is your favorite thing to do on campus? Sit outside at the Outdoor Classroom on a sunny day or sip a nice cold PBR at Humphrey’s.
Is there anything left on your Conn bucket list? Sleepover in Cummings
What are you post-grad plans?
Nothing is finalized yet, but I will be working in women’s health research in a hospital or university setting…believe me, the world will know the moment I do.
What will you miss most about Conn after gradation?
The proximity to friends, the incredible resources and fantastic faculty and staff, and mac and cheese bar in Harris.
How do you feel about being Campus Celebrity? People know who I am?