Krista Selnau - Politics and History/English

An internship as a press aide at the late Senator Ted Kennedy's Boston office for her politics and history major sparked Krista Selnau's interest in attending law school after her completing her undergraduate degree at Curry College. She now attends Suffolk University Law School and plans to graduate in 2012. During her internship, Krista wrote press releases and grant support letters, helped manage public events and monitored daily newspapers, media reports and websites for key issues concerning the Senator, which gave her a valuable perspective on the real-world impact of her course work.

Krista cites her connections with Curry College faculty and the opportunity to become a leader and trendsetter at Curry as the keys to getting her where she is today. After her first year at Curry, she made an important decision that positively affected the rest of her college experience - she decided to get serious about getting involved in campus life. "Curry was my first-choice college," says Krista. "I liked the small size and the feeling of community when I visited campus. By joining clubs and organizations, I learned how the process works and that you could start your own club, implement your ideas and create change. Now, I'm better able to take initiative and not be just a follower. Within Curry's supportive environment, I felt comfortable enough to take a risk and step into leadership positions."

Krista's willingness to get involved offered many benefits. "I love reading and writing, so I felt a pull to major in English," says Krista. "Then, in my junior year, I had a class with Professor Larry Hartenian and decided to add a second major in politics and history. He introduced a fascinating world linking government, economics and politics to personal relations. He challenged me to delve into research and connect it to my writing. And he offered excellent advice on my final project, which dealt with social and economic integration between countries in the European Union."

Another of Krista's favorite faculty members is Professor Allan Hunter. "His class in Therapeutic Writing shows how the self is deeply connected with what you write. Dr. Hunter is very insightful and intelligent about the writing process. He helps you understand yourself better so you can write better." Krista also enjoyed her advisor, Susan Peterson, citing a class about the poetry of Beatles' lyrics and her helpful guidance for Krista's major in English. "It was easy to meet and talk with her about my career goals and future plans," says Krista. "She provided a lot of resources, and she was always willing to listen and talk about anything."

As her final project in the Honors Thesis Program, Krista chose the topic "Sexual Objectification of Girls in the Media." She researched advertisements, billboards and commercials and found a strong correlation between media portrayals and low self-esteem in girls and women. Krista's mentor, Dr. Sandra O'Neil, reviewed her research and offered editorial support.

During her term as president of Curry's Alexander Graham Bell Honor Society, Krista led monthly meetings and met weekly with College deans to discuss strengthening academic foundations and creating new programs. Lessons in leadership she learned at Curry also carry over into Krista's current legal internship at Massachusetts Advocates for Children.

Outside of class, Krista enjoyed mentoring new students as a teaching assistant for Curry's First-Year Experience program and writing for the Curry Arts Journal. Since 2005, she's been a volunteer and cabin counselor at Paul Newman's Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Ashford (CT), which provides children with chronic and terminal illnesses a safe and supportive summer camp experience.

For students considering Curry, Krista says, "Take advantage of everything Curry has to offer - meet the professors, join clubs and organizations, learn everything you can. Make the most of your education and your overall experience at Curry."

Update: At Suffolk Law Krista made the Dean's List for the 2010-2011 academic year.  She is also a Legal Intern at Medical-Legal Partnership, Boston as a part of the Income Supports Team.

Not only does Krista handle several caseloads along with two research projects, she interviews clients and works with agencies like the Dept. of Transitional Services and the Social Security Administration. The main project she is working on deals with research pertaining to family members as personal care assistants for disabled individuals.