How UNC Asheville Students Choose Their Academic Paths

Major Choices: Paving the Way for Change

By UNC Asheville

February 11^th, 2022

We're taking the final look into every major at UNC Asheville, from accounting to women, gender, and sexuality studies, across all disciplines. In this section, we’ll meet students who have discovered new interests as well as those who took a deeper dive into their past passions to find a pathway into a dream career.

Find Part 1 here of this series on double majors, Find Part 2 here, Part 3 here, and Part 4 here on this collection of other majors

ONA ELKINS

Ona Elkins is a sophomore majoring in political science with history, Asian studies, and human rights minors.

Elkins has been drawn into politics since middle school when she spent extra time reading the news and trying to educate herself on current issues.

“My favorite classes in high school were history or government classes and I knew I wanted to continue studying those subjects in college. I really didn’t want to limit myself in my interests so I decided to minor in a few areas that really overlap with each other,” said Elkins. “I wanted to study international politics in college and was originally a little worried that I wouldn’t be able to focus my studies in that area but so far I’ve had no issue and I’ve been able to take so many courses in areas I would never have thought I would fall into ‘Political Science.’”

Elkins wishes to tell future political science majors to try as hard as you can to get involved in clubs that interest you and to connect with a professor you like. She has found that having close connections with professors is an invaluable resource that will help students in all aspects of life and gives you many opportunities to learn outside class.

“I think the most challenging aspect of political science is staying hopeful in the face of learning just how broken the system is. It can be difficult to continue pushing for change when there is a deep-rooted and established force going against you. However, I also believe this is the most rewarding part of the major. Being educated on issues that directly impact people’s daily lives is a way of empowering oneself to enact change, even in small ways,” stated Elkins.

Her favorite class in her political science major is POLS 374: Politics of Reparations with Ashley Moraguez, assistant professor of political science, which she said was intense, but that most of the knowledge gained from this class has impacted every part of her daily life and every other class she has taken since. Within her minors, her favorite class has been RELS 280: Asian Religious Traditions with Seth Ligo, adjunct instructor of humanities, which educated her on a subject she knew nothing about previously and allowed her to step out of her comfort zone and expand her worldview.

“I would hope to attend grad school and study international relations or a similar subject and then eventually join the U.S Foreign Service to work as a diplomatic representative abroad for the State Department,” said Elkins. “I’ve also considered going into human rights work as well, as the UNCA Political Science department has a special relationship with the grad school program at the University of Essex in England for human rights. If I chose this path I would be able to graduate in 4.5 years with both my bachelor’s in political science and my master’s in human rights, which is a really incredible and unique aspect of the political science major.”

Elkins spends most of her time on campus in Zagier Hall, the Justice Gymnasium where she plays volleyball for UNC Asheville’s team, or studying in Ramsey Library.

“No matter what major you choose, have fun! College isn’t meant to be all about grades or tests, it’s meant to be an opportunity to fully envelope yourself in knowledge and explore what interests you. The professors at UNC Asheville are unmatched and care so much about their students. They’re brilliant and know so much about their specialties. Take advantage of the opportunities to talk to them and get closer!” stated Elkins.

How UNC Asheville Students Choose Their Academic Paths

ROSANNA BARBOUR

Rosanna Barbour is a senior majoring in anthropology with an Indigenous studies minor.

“I chose my major because I wanted to get involved with decolonizing the academic space. Specifically the fields of anthropology and archeology. The main thing I want to focus on in my work is ways to support Indigenous communities. I chose my minor to support the department, help decolonize my mind, and support my understanding of decolonization,” said Barbour.

Her favorite class in her anthropology major was ANTH 100 Intro to Cultural Anthropology with Carla Hung, assistant professor of anthropology, who is one of her favorite professors, was something she enjoyed with interesting discussions that she will carry with her into her career.

Within her Indigenous studies minor her favorite class was Cherokee I and II with Gil Jackson and Dr. Barbara Duncan, adjunct instructor of Cherokee. She has always had a personal interest in learning languages. She finds the Cherokee language is a beautiful language and highly recommends other students to take this course, especially because the teachers help foster a strong sense of community between classmates as they learn together.

“Go into anthropology with an open mind and a willingness to learn. I have noticed that some people in the field are stuck in their ways. But, if you want to foster a greater understanding of what you study you have to be willing to challenge your personal ways of thinking,” stated Barbour.

She found the amount of reading to be the challenging part of the anthropology major. Even though she finds the content very engaging, it is hard to focus and read twenty to thirty-page readings as an auditory learner. However, the most rewarding part of her arthrography majors was the group discussions. She found it refreshing to share observations about content and points that are always engaging.

“All of the classes I have taken in the major have consistently acknowledged the colonial past of anthropology. Whereas a lot of the academic fields have not engaged in this discussion of decolonizing or acknowledging their white supremacist roots, anthropology (at UNCA anyways) is ahead in these aspects,” said Barbour.

Barbour would like to eventually use anthropology to go into archeology to help assist in restorative archeology and anthropology that serves to benefit Indigenous communities across Turtle Island which is what Native Americans call North America in their folklore. She would also like to work with expanding the land sovereignty of tribal governments through anthropological work.

“In Dr. Hung's Intro to Cultural Anthropology class, I learned how to write an ethnography. One of the skills she taught us was to use a more empathetic and emotional approach when writing down our observations. We wrote down how we felt or how other people felt. From Dr. Hung's teachings, I learned to value the emotional and the logical. Both are equally important as people are made of both. Neither should be mutually exclusive,” stated Barbour.

Barbour spends most of her time in her room on campus or the Botanical Gardens, she said that she likes to float between the two to relax and recharge her mental battery. However, when she struggles to focus she goes to Ramsey Library because it's quiet and puts her into a productive headspace.

Beyond her UNC Asheville classes, Barbour also studies traditional Appalachian Folk Magic. Learning more about practices passed down through generations of her family.

“I grew up in rural North Carolina, and both sides of my family are from Appalachia. I developed an interest in studying Appalachian Folk Magic. I am also a learning practitioner who seeks to connect with my ancestors through my practice. Mainly to help work through familial trauma,” stated Barbour.

“I would like to encourage other students in other fields to incorporate decolonization into their work. Directly confront the white supremacist settler colonial roots that have plagued academia since its conception,” said Barbour.

JESSICA MATONE

Jessica Matone is a junior majoring in women, gender, and sexuality studies.

Matone decided to major in WGSS after finding the material in the introduction to women, gender, and sexuality studies class to be very fascinating upon transferring to UNC Asheville. Becoming a WGSS major gave her the chance to use her previous social work major at her previous school to expand into her interest in feminism, activism, and queer history.

Matone was surprised by how much the WGSS major has been applicable in everyday life that she has already been able to use in her career and personal life.

Her favorite class has been a course in Southern women's history with Sarah Judson, WGSS program director, interim chair and professor of history, and professor of Africana studies. She was surprised that she could enjoy learning about history but this class gave her the chance to be taught about people like her which she never had before.

As a commuter, she doesn't spend much time on campus but on a nice day, she loves to study right outside of the library while enjoying a smoothie from the Smoothie Lab.

“The most challenging part about being a WGSS major is that people often underestimate the value of the degree. They don't realize the jobs and opportunities that can arise. I believe that now is a revolutionary time for the way that gender and sexuality are viewed in our society,” stated Matone. “I work at a treatment center that primarily treats femme presenting individuals. I have already found my studies to be rewarding at my job. I am able to empathize and better understand clients using the things that I have learned.”

Matone was surprised to have professors who taught more than just WGSS classes which gave her the opportunity to have a well-rounded education and learn about subjects she wouldn't have otherwise.

“I hope to get my masters in either counseling or social work. I plan on working with women and the LGBTQIA+ community. This degree will provide a great stepping stone for my career,” said Matone.

KEITH EDGEMONT

Keith Edgemont is a junior double majoring in philosophy and French who is also the president of the Philosophy Club.

“The reason I chose my majors is I have always had a love for understanding and inquiry. I was always the kid who would ask way too many questions and drive their parents crazy. French is just a personal love of mine, the language is beautiful and language learning feels very organized and compatible with how I learn,” said Edgemont.

His favorite classes have been PHIL 320: Existentialism with Duane Davis, professor of philosophy, and PHIL 101: Introduction to Logic with Brian Butler, professor of philosophy, which he said are two completely different areas of philosophy but they complement each other well. Existentialism with Davis was in his main interest, looking at the many ways that life can matter, and logic is so precise and organized it helps him to continuously evaluate and construct everyday thoughts and arguments.

“I would say the most challenging part of my majors are the amounts of reading, but honestly I have gotten used to it and the more I read the more interesting things I am able to incorporate into every other aspect of my school career. I have found some of my favorite authors in the past year or so, thanks to my professors,” stated Edgemont. “The most rewarding part of my major is getting to look through so many other points of view and meet so many different amazing professors that want to help me on my path.”

Edgemont says that he was surprised by how vast the philosophy major was, which he enjoyed exploring. He found it really interesting the many areas of thought there with different concepts and ideas within the philosophy major, he is still looking for his niche though.

“I really want to use my major to help create a well-balanced and fruitful life so I can always challenge my understanding. All the areas that I am studying can help me forge my own path through life that is beneficial for me and my family. I want to also use my knowledge to help others and hopefully make the world a slightly better place,” said Edgemont.

He spends most of his time in the library because it is the quietest place on campus and the staff is always nice and welcoming. He finds the rows of old books very comforting and safe. But when he isn't studying, he enjoys making homemade bread from scratch and creating fun cocktails.

Edgemont has a passion for language learning during their spare time which is one of the reasons they choose to major in French.

“I really enjoyed learning about how many languages there are in the world! It really is amazing how many different dialects there are and how many cultures that go along with them,” stated Edgemont.