threesis-champion-spotlight

Alexsandra Mitchell is a rising star librarian for Harlem’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, one of the leading research institutions focused on African-American experiences, African Diaspora experiences, and African experiences. “To say I enjoy working at the Schomburg Center would be an understatement,” says Alexsandra. “It’s my dream job!”

With master’s degrees in Africana Studies and Library Science, Alexsandra is well-suited for the position. She joined GSAS because of the unique opportunity to pursue her dual master’s degrees, and also because she had fallen in love with New York during her time as a Schomburg Mellon Summer Humanities Institute Scholar in 2009. She knew GSAS would be a perfect fit for her academically and creatively–it proved to be just that. “I grew tremendously as a scholar by studying with GSAS professors such as Deb Willis and Juan Flores. Their courses introduced me to new bodies of work that have heavily influenced my ways of thinking and view of the world.”

In the spring of 2013, Alexsandra flourished, as she connected with fellow artists and scholars at the Black Portraiture Conference in Paris, a thesis research trip to Havana, and the 2013 GSAS Threesis Academic Challenge. Alexsandra won the academic championship with her presentation on the musical ties between the Afro-Cuban, Afro-Puerto Rican, and African American communities of New York City and Cuba between 1940 and 1960. “It was such a special time in my life.”

Now at the Schomberg Center, Alexsandra is able to utilize her research and support the continued growth of their archives. She has also created a podcast called Live from the Reading Room: Correspondence, which shares fascinating correspondence from or to important historical figures from the African Diaspora. “I wake up every day excited to get to work. I am in love with my position.” Alexsandra is currently completing her first book project, co-authored with fellow GSAS alumna Megan Goins-Diouf, as well as a children’s book.

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.