As a current freshman, being at UC Davis has been a dream come true. I mean, it is undoubtedly a top-notch academic institution. There are, of course, plenty of research and internship opportunities, but what about the courses? The variety of classes is amazing, where these range from hydrology to plant biology to sociology. Although I generally thrive better in STEM, I recently enjoyed a humanities course. As a current data science major, my interests have been in math, statistics and logic and reasoning. However, at somewhere like UC Davis, I knew that I could explore beyond my comfort zone if I was willing to.
At the same time, I had my limits. I wasn’t interested in studying Shakespeare, Greek mythology, or the historical landscape of America, but social justice seemed appealing to me. It made sense as someone who aspires to analyze data regarding underrepresented individuals. Besides those of the neurodivergent community, I empathized with gender and LGBTQIA+ struggles and the idea of constantly feeling misunderstood. This challenged my thinking to solve beyond a simple word problem. I realized that there were greater societal issues that needed to be addressed instead. As a result of my mindset, I enrolled in Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies (GSW) 050 for the Winter Quarter of 2026. This course’s official title is “Introduction to Critical Gender Studies,” and the purpose of taking this is to think about the feminist movement, misconceptions about womanhood, gender representation in science and medicine and the origin of gender ideas from colonial times. Although it might seem as if this information is relevant only to sociology and anthropology majors, this notion is incorrect.
I was surprised to see how many people raised their hands to identify as STEM majors in both the large lecture hall and my discussion section. I can tell why this course attracts a variety of students from different personal and academic backgrounds. This is due to its already rich content taught by a highly engaging professor: Professor Hanssmann. These factors combined allowed for the most fulfilling learning experience and easily made this course my favorite one so far. It doesn’t matter whether the GSW 050 has more reading and writing than I’m used to. In my opinion, the class is never boring, it provides fresh insight and is unforgettable in every way.
Although I thought that I already knew plenty about current terminology and our societal climate, I was proven wrong. In actuality, I was ignorant about certain concepts, including intersectionality, social constructionism, red pilling and problem bodies. These are all important for understanding various identities and cultures, and so GSW 050 allowed me to better acknowledge and empathize with others’ perspectives. Additionally, Professor Hansmann made each lecture session informative and worthwhile. He provided as much thought and detail for his explanations; his witty commentary was a bonus.
Overall, GSW 050 challenged me, whether it be answering a five-paragraph essay question or examining critical theory. My biggest takeaway is that there is overlap between GSW and data science with potential careers. Thanks to GSW 050, I am inspired to take at least five upper-division courses to complete the GSW minor alongside a Bachelor of Science. My goal is to apply data science, analytics and advocacy to create meaningful change for marginalized groups, like women, through multiple ways. I intend on doing so through predicting statistical trends and building machine learning solutions, but also through media publications, public speaking and community engagement. Having many outlets of expression isn’t confusing, but rather valuable in making my mission and values visible. Such a combination can be powerful.
I would recommend GSW 050 to any UC Davis student for developing higher-level thinking and effective communication. These are needed for any major, even within science and math. There is also satisfaction in becoming more educated and using knowledge for the greater good. I am proof of this!