Student Spotlight

Sydney Rasmussen
Major: Psychology
Minor: Global Women's Studies
Graduation: April 2021

I am from Nashville, TN (no, I do not like country music haha) and I am the fourth of six kids—the lower middle child if you will. My favorite color is pink, I absolutely adore cats, and my top Spotify artist is Taylor Swift! I am very passionate about mental health--specifically regarding body image and eating disorder awareness. Our culture is broken in regards to how we treat differing body types; however, the more we are able to speak up, the better we are able to elicit awareness and change.

What's your guilty pleasure?
Watching cheesy early 2000s romantic comedies! I think they are really fun and sweet--though also sometimes a little problematic haha.
 
What were your favorite TV shows or movies growing up?
My absolute favorite movies growing up were Barbie (specifically the Princes and the Pauper and the Magic of Pegasus). I still know all of the songs to the musical Barbie movies by heart!
 
Why did you decide to join the Honors Program?
I decided to join the Honors Program because I was drawn to its emphasis on interdisciplinary thinking--and because doing an Honors Thesis sounded really fun! It wasn't really a big decision for me; joining the Honors Program just felt like the right decision for myself and what I wanted my undergraduate experience to look like.
 
What has been your favorite part of your Honors Experience?
My favorite part of the Honors Experience was honestly the Great Questions Essay, though I also really enjoy my Thesis! The Great Questions Essay stretched me academically and emotionally--I processed a lot of really painful memories and emotions through that essay by asking a question I genuinely wanted (and needed) to understand. Being able to truly put myself in my academic work was transformative, and I am so grateful for the experience of writing that essay.
 
What is your next step in Honors?
My next step in Honors is finalizing my thesis and turning it into the department. I actually just defended my thesis a couple hours before writing this and it honestly wasn't that bad!