Kendra WilsonСAPPs parents are both UL Lafayette graduates, making her a born-and-raised RaginСAPP Cajun. She had many options of where to attend college, but UL Lafayette was the best choice for her.
СAPPGrowing up in Lafayette, I went to RaginСAPP Cajun football games and softball games,СAPP she said. СAPPWe were definitely a RaginСAPP Cajun family.
СAPPI looked at other schools since I have family in other parts of the country,СAPP she said. СAPPBut when it came down to it, UL Lafayette had a program that I liked, I had friends here already, it was a great school with a great program and it just fit.СAPP
Exploring Travel, Languages & Cultures
KendraСAPPs decision to major in political science with a concentration in international relations came from a love of traveling.
СAPPI started traveling really young because my grandmother lives on the west coast,СAPP she said. СAPPSo, we were flying on planes before I was old enough to walk.
СAPPWith the international relations program, I thought, СAPPI like to travel, I like languages, this sounds awesome,СAPP so I signed up for it and it has been my home ever since,СAPP she said.
СAPPWhen I got to UL Lafayette, I heard about the Study Abroad program and I was hooked,СAPP she said. СAPPI went to London, Norway, and Scotland right after I finished my freshman year and that really sealed the deal for me.СAPP
Studying New Languages
KendraСAPPs love of language is what drew her to two language minors that complement her major: Arabic Studies and Spanish.
СAPPIСAPPve always had a love for languages,СAPP she said. СAPPMy first semester of my freshman year I was in the first Arabic class at UL Lafayette СAPP quite an honor, I might say СAPP and I just fell in love with it immediately.
СAPPI was taking Spanish alongside Arabic,СAPP she said. СAPPI knew some really great Spanish professors and they told me that I only needed three more classes to earn a minor. So, I was like СAPPWhy not?СAPP I like Spanish too, so I added it on.СAPP
When she began taking Arabic classes, it wasnСAPPt a minor yet. So, Kendra СAPP with the help of her peers СAPP changed that and brought a new field of study to the campus.
СAPPI liked the professor, I loved the language, and my classmates were fantastic,СAPP she said. СAPPAs we went through the levels together, we decided we wanted this as a minor, so me and a few classmates put together a petition and a lot of work with our professor to convince the language department to continue this as a minor.СAPP
Student Organizations
A minor isnСAPPt the only thing she helped bring to UL Lafayette. To accompany the minor, Kendra helped start two student organizations: the and the .
СAPPFor the Arabic Culture Club, we meet on Wednesday nights and work on Arabic homework and just work on speaking basic conversations so that people in the Arabic program СAPP and people not in the Arabic program СAPP would get exposure to the language and have the experience of speaking it outside of a normal classroom setting,СAPP she said.
СAPPWe had a big event called Arabic Night where we had people come in and teach us how to do a traditional dance,СAPP she said. СAPPWe had some people come do henna, and all the food was supplied by Zeus on campus. We had a really fun night and a bigger turnout than expected. I think everyone had a good time; weСAPPll just need a bigger room for next time.
СAPPI was also a founding member of the Model Arab league,СAPP she said. СAPPItСAPPs a little like Model UN (United Nations). We go to conferences and we go to competitions, but instead of representing any country, you represent one of the 22 countries in the Arab region.
СAPPThis year, we actually got approval to make it a class,СAPP she said. СAPPSo now it counts for course credit and towards your Arabic studies minor. ItСAPPs a very big thing and we are very proud of that.СAPP
A New Interest in Government
KendraСAPPs political science classes have shown her that a career in government may be in her future.
СAPPAfter I graduate, IСAPPd really like to get a job working in government, especially local government,СAPP she said. СAPPOver the past year or two, IСAPPve fallen in love with the process.
СAPPI would like to do something where I could use my languages,СAPP she said. СAPPI would like to eventually become a translator or interpreter СAPP I know itСAPPs going to take me a lot of time to get there СAPP so right now, my plan is to work in our local government until I figure out which graduate program IСAPPd like to go to. Then hopefully IСAPPll move onto national government or even working as a translator overseas.СAPP
One class in particular piqued KendraСAPPs interest in government work.
СAPPI took Dr. Pearson CrossСAPPs State and Local Government class (POLS 317) last semester and it was phenomenal,СAPP she said. СAPPI learned so much about how our government works and how it works in comparison to other state governments, and I liked it way more than I thought I would.СAPP
KendraСAPPs undergraduate thesis with the СAPP Honors Program reflects these interests as well.
СAPPIСAPPm doing my thesis on the evolution of American socialism,СAPP she said. СAPPI got the idea when I was in a philosophy class and we were talking about socialism.
СAPPItСAPPs been around for forever, but right now itСAPPs really prevalent especially considering we had a presidential candidate that labels himself as a democratic socialist,СAPP she said. СAPPAnd of course, you have people in Congress such as the famous AOC (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) who is also a democratic socialist.
СAPPIСAPPm writing my thesis because I think itСAPPs important to know what a democratic socialist is, how socialism evolved from the very beginnings of history and in America, why itСAPPs such an appealing concept to so many people, and if itСAPPs even a feasible option for America,СAPP she said.
Campus Culture
Kendra thanks her professors for helping her form her own opinions.
СAPPI think we have some of the best professors,СAPP she said. СAPPTheyСAPPre able to teach without having very strong biases and they try to teach everything from all sides so that you can make your own opinions and get the full story before jumping to one side or the other.
СAPPI think they teach the classes in a way that really gears it toward the students where itСAPPs best for them to understand,СAPP she said. СAPPTheyСAPPre not afraid to touch the sticky subjects СAPP like writing a thesis on socialism СAPP and theyСAPPre willing to help with those kinds of projects that you bring to them.СAPP
Her experiences on campus helped her break out of her shell.
СAPPBefore I started college, I was very, very shy and I hated public speaking,СAPP she said. СAPPI feel like part of my experience at UL Lafayette of becoming president of an organization and having to give presentations is what made me much more comfortable speaking to people.
СAPPJust having the ability to express my ideas clearly and have the experience of presenting things to people and collaborating with them is probably my strongest skill that IСAPPve gained,СAPP she said.
Campus culture exceeded her expectations, too.
СAPPIt sounds bad to say it, but being in Louisiana, I didnСAPPt really expect to meet people from all over,СAPP she said. СAPPBut we have such a diverse population and IСAPPve met all these amazing people from all these places. My boyfriendСAPPs roommate is from Oman so sometimes we just speak Arabic to each other and thatСAPPs an incredible thing.
СAPPAnd we have such strong traditions like the pardoning of the crawfish СAPP I cannot tell you another school that has anything like that,СAPP she said. СAPPI really enjoy having that cultural identity as part of my university.СAPP
