Q: Do you have a memory of your time in the ucla department of philosophy that impacted you?
A: Being a woman [and an] international student, sometimes I am afraid that if my voice is too small or if I don’t seem confident enough then my thoughts wouldn’t be as respected. But that fear has never been actualized. I am grateful for the fact that instead of concentrating on the way that I carry myself, people in the philosophy department pay more attention to my thoughts and insights. And I think that’s the right way to do philosophy.
– Waner Zhang, Philosophy Major, Class of 2018
Q: Career-wise, what’s your next step? How do you think you will use philosophy in your future career?
A: I will pursue a Master of Education coupled with a teaching credential. I think philosophy and my study of ethics in particular will play [a] role in my teaching. In philosophy we’re asked to think about questions like, “What does it mean to be a morally good person?” I want to bring these questions into the classroom so children can begin to build strong ethical foundations.
– Amanda Hust, Philosophy Major, Class of 2018