2016 Threesis Champion Hannah Leffingwell easily engages others in conversation, demonstrating a clear passion for her research into French feminism as a social movement in the 1960s. This research led her to her thesis: trying to understand the actions and motivations of the Red Dykes, a group of radical French feminists who sought to carve out a space for lesbian identity within the second-wave feminist movement. Her interest was piqued when she noticed that leaders in the French feminist movement disagreed in their memories of that time.
Hannah’s program allowed her to meld history with French studies, which was one of the reasons why she chose GSAS and the Institute of French Studies to pursue her master’s degree–there were no other French Studies programs that gave her the interdisciplinary approach offered by the Graduate School. She reminisced on her first visit to the Washington Square campus: “I saw the kind of classes that I would be taking and felt that people in the program were very welcoming. I immediately knew this was the place for me.” Hannah enjoyed the diverse opportunities provided by New York City and its many avenues to interact with French language and culture. As an American studying French history, she reckons this affords her an objective distance while allowing her to grapple with issues in the western world.
When Hannah heard about the Threesis, she was excited at the prospect of sharing her project with an audience outside of her field. Coming from a background as a competitive ballet dancer, she was comfortable with the stage but found the experience of presenting her thesis to the audience of the Threesis Finals unique. “It felt much more personal.” As an undergraduate student, she was also a public speaking mentor and commented that pretending to play a role helps with nerves. Her one tip for others? Be comfortable in your environment. “For me, it is very important to wear high heels,” she says. “I am also very excited about my outfit. My body language is very important and I imagine that I am sitting around the dinner table and making eye contact.” Since her Threesis victory, Hannah has begun a doctoral program in the Institute of French Studies and the Department of History. She continues to be an excellent scholar within GSAS and we all look forward to her future successes.
Watch Hannah’ Threesis presentation here.
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