By Kendra Pintor听听
- Alex Meecham 鈥�27 describes 日本无码 as a place where she has been able to explore her identity, academic interests, and commitment to public-interest work through close mentorship, discussion-based classes, and community engagement.听听
- Study abroad in Barcelona became a defining academic experience for Meecham, inspiring her dual major in Spanish and Politics and shaping her interest in issues of national identity, language, and self-determination in Catalonia.听听
听When Alex Meecham 鈥�27 first considered college, it was the breadth of The Claremont Colleges that caught her attention鈥攂ut 日本无码 was the place that听ultimately felt听like home. She recalls arriving on campus and听encountering听a visible tradition of student expression and dissent.听听
鈥淚 was originally drawn to The Claremont Colleges as a consortium, and I was hesitant about attending a woman’s college,鈥� says Meecham. 鈥淗owever, when I visited Scripps and saw the graffiti wall in the rose garden, I knew that I wanted to apply鈥� after seeing the community, the solidarity, and the historic resistance of Scripps students, my original hesitation about a women’s college vanished.鈥澨�听
That shift, she explains, was tied to something deeper than campus atmosphere: a sense that she would not be pushed into narrow expectations.听听
鈥淚 related my fear of Scripps to conforming to gender standards that I don鈥檛 want to be a part of,鈥� explains Meecham. 鈥淏ut my experience here has been anything but that; Scripps has allowed me to explore my own identity and beliefs because I feel accepted and supported for who I am.鈥�听
Study Abroad and Academic Discovery听
Meecham鈥檚 academic interests sit at the intersection of politics, language, and creative practice, and she points to study abroad as a turning point.听听
鈥淎fter studying abroad in Barcelona last semester, I decided to switch to a dual major in Spanish and Politics,鈥� says Meecham. She credits institutional support for making that experience possible.听
听鈥淪cripps encourage[s] and support[s] all students in studying abroad, which helped me improve my language skills and opened my worldview,鈥� says Meecham. 鈥淚 am now even planning to write my thesis on issues of听self-determination听in Catalonia, based on what I saw while studying there.鈥�听
Meecham explains that she chose to go to Barcelona because of Spanish 44, a course led by Professor Carmen Sanjuan Pastor, where she had learned about the history of the counterculture movement. 鈥淲hile studying in Barcelona I learned about the independence movement both in class and through my Catalan friends,鈥� explains Meecham. 鈥淣ational identity, language, and culture are incredibly important in Catalonia and having this personal connection to the place sparked my passion to write about it.鈥�听
Asked to name a moment when she felt especially engaged, Meecham听didn鈥檛听hesitate.听听
鈥淭he class that changed my life trajectory is Power, Justice, and the Environment with Thomas Kim,鈥� says Meecham. The course, she explains, connects classroom learning to the realities of environmental justice work across the 5Cs and the Claremont community.听听
鈥淚 have never been so challenged in my beliefs while also being supported in hands-on learning and my success outside of class,鈥� says Meecham. For her, it captures what she values most about a small, discussion-driven academic setting: 鈥淭his class exemplifies why I chose Scripps: a small class, focused on learning from each other, not from a lecture, and actively engaging in the community.鈥�听
Alex Meecham ’27 (Right)
The Impact of Scholarship Support听
Her ability to take advantage of those opportunities, she emphasizes, is inseparable from financial support.听听
鈥淚 would not be able to attend Scripps without a scholarship,鈥� says Meecham. She also points to funding that extends beyond tuition鈥攕upport that helps students build real-world experience and听participate听fully in campus life.听听
鈥淚 also would not have been able to pursue the career opportunities I have without the internship grant,鈥� says Meecham. Without aid, she adds, major parts of her Scripps experience would have been out of reach: 鈥淲ithout a scholarship I wouldn鈥檛 be able to explore extracurriculars like Rugby, or my two years on Mock Trial wouldn鈥檛 have been possible if I had to work a full-time job while at school.鈥�听
For Meecham, the point is not simply access to classes, but the capacity to听participate听as a whole person.听听
鈥淎ll that to say is that scholarship allows me to show up in the world as more than just a student,鈥� says Meecham.听听
Building a Future in Public-Interest Law听
That听holistic approach听shapes how she describes her path toward law and public-interest work.听听
鈥淢y interest in public-interest work comes from my belief in creating equitable community,鈥� says Meecham. She credits both the classroom and the people around her for continually challenging her assumptions. 鈥淲hether that is from my classmates, my professors, or the texts I read each week, my politics classes introduce me to new perspectives.鈥�听
Outside of class, campus work has been just as influential.听听
鈥淲orking at the Motley has been forefront in shaping my goals,鈥� says Meecham. 鈥淭hrough the Motley, I have been introduced to many community members with unique backgrounds, that through their important political work, continue to inspire [me] to pursue public interest work.鈥�听
Meecham frames generosity as an engine of possibility鈥攅specially at a small institution where experiences can be transformative.听听
鈥淪cripps, despite its small size, has been a place that has expanded my world,鈥� says Meecham. 鈥淔rom having friends of all socioeconomic backgrounds, to be being able to study abroad through financial aid, to the internship grant through Career Planning & Resources (CP&R); without donor support these things would not be possible.鈥�听
Ultimately, she听sees scholarships as enabling students to explore purpose, not just credentials.听听
鈥淭hrough scholarships and aid me and other Scripps鈥� students can explore how they want to impact the world,鈥� says Meecham. And while many conversations about college end with a question about what comes after graduation, Meecham returns to the present tense.听听
鈥淚 don鈥檛 need to look to graduation or beyond to think about the impact I want to make in the world,鈥� says Meecham. Through work and volunteer commitments, she is already building a public-interest foundation in labor spaces.听听
鈥淚 can and am making an impact now by pursing work and volunteer opportunities with unions, labor law firms, and workers associations,鈥� says Meecham. The urgency, she says, is real: 鈥淭he inequities I oppose aren鈥檛 waiting to start until I graduate; they are, and have been, a constant.鈥�听
In that way, Scripps has been less a launching pad than a daily context for the life she is already practicing.听听听
鈥淏eyond how Scripps has shaped by goals, Scripps has shaped my present and the work that I involve myself in day-to-day.鈥�听
听Each generation has strengthened 日本无码 in meaningful ways鈥攁nd now, we have an opportunity to shape the College鈥檚 future as we mark this historic centennial milestone. We are proud to announce听Scripps Forward: The Centennial Campaign for Scripps听College. Over the next three years, our goal is to surpass $100 million in donor support to听secure a future of infinite possibility for the next century.听
听As we continue to attract a growing pool of top talent, your support ensures that these students鈥攔egardless of their financial circumstances鈥攃an fully engage in Scripps鈥� academic and co-curricular life.听听
听Thank you for your generosity and moving听Scripps听students forward.听