Meet Giselle Rivera, a senior majoring in Global and International Studies with a concentration in Economics. At first, Giselle wanted to study Business Economics, but she was also interested in courses in Political Science and History. It made sense to her to make her interests count and that’s how she chose GIS with a concentration in economics. Giselle likes how studying GIS sets her apart from other economists. She can delve deeper into the historical evolution or the political economy of a problem, with an interdisciplinary lens.
Giselle’s favorite term paper was in Econometrics. Here she used what she was learning in class to study the impact of immigration on the unemployment rate in the US from 2010 to 2019. She was able to refine her STATA coding skills in a tangible research paper and also immediately use what she had learned. Guided by Dr. Long, Giselle appreciated the broader perspective of her mentor and teacher. The dynamic discussions with Dr. Long brought Giselle’s paper to life and allowed Giselle to delve into more complexities about immigration than she had imagined. For example, as Giselle was collecting data from the American Community Survey, she realized that undocumented people were less likely to participate in such a survey because of the fear of deportation. She also found that labor force participation rates in certain immigrant populations was low. The more she learned about the immigrants through the dataset, the more she realized that she would like to shift attention away from the effects of immigration on the labor market to the policies that could improve conditions for immigrants so they can be successful.
For Giselle, what sets our Economics department apart are these personal faculty-student interactions around contemporary topics. She likes how professors go above and beyond. They actively engage with their students both in academic pursuits but also professionally, supporting their personal growth. Faculty members’ genuine passion for supporting students with their projects creates a strong bond that goes beyond the classroom. Giselle also mentions how each professor is specialized in a different area, making it easy for seniors to be paired with a professor whose expertise aligns closely with their research interests. This personalized matching enhances the overall learning experience, contributing to the department’s collaborative and supportive ethos.
Giselle’s hard work in her courses paid off recently when she was inducted into the Economics Honor Society last spring. She describes it as a fantastic opportunity to connect with faculty off-campus and celebrate academic achievements collectively. Giselle highlights the long-term benefits, noting that it opens doors to a new network and access to economic journals, serving as a powerful tool for her ongoing research and future endeavors in Graduate School. Another standout experience was the Local Social Entrepreneurship class which was particularly enriching. The faculty-led experiential learning opportunity was a tangible application of the theories she had learned. Giselle worked with an interdisciplinary team to develop a financial model to boost the profit margins of a nearby Nature Center called the Wilderness Center.
Giselle’s advice for prospective economics students at Wooster is to actively engage faculty. They provide valuable insights into postgraduate opportunities but also are wonderful mentors. Additionally, Giselle highlights the significance of being actively involved with the Economics department, with other students and professors. Being in our economics department is more than taking courses, it is about doing economics, building lifelong mentoring relationships, and an opportunity to grow as a future professional.