Mackenzie Root ’24 says her triple degree in criminal justice, politics and government, and sociology has prepared her to pursue a multidisciplinary master’s in social science degree at UCLA. “UHart provided me with a strong academic foundation through internships and a wide array of classes,” she says. “I met my wonderful advisors, Dr. Katharine Owens and Dr. Kelly McGeever, who helped me better understand what my interests were and what I can do professionally with those interests.”
Outside of classes, Mackenzie served as an intern with the Norwich Police Department and worked as an art and research intern with Politics and Government Professor Katharine Owens on her Entangled and Ingested project. Owens is a plastic pollution researcher and artist who creates life-sized portraits of animals harmed by plastic pollution by hand-sewing film plastic onto canvas.
Mackenzie was also a member of the Pi Sigma Alpha National Political Science Honor Society. She says her capstone projects concerning race within political cartoons and intimate partner violence, helped her better understand prior research and add her own constructive opinions to the literature.
Among Mackenzie’s favorite UHart memories are her forensics classes and seeing PnB Rock at the Spring Fling concert. She says her favorite things about UHart are the faculty and the beautiful foliage on campus. “My advice to incoming students is to build a relationship with your advisor(s) and your professors, because they want to understand their students and see them succeed.”
Mackenzie Root ’24, College of Arts and SciencesUHart provided me with a strong academic foundation through internships and a wide array of classes.