Elsa Voytas

Murray 1693 Scholar

Hometown

Kutztown, PA (Kutztown Area High School)

Why W&M?

I chose to attend William & Mary for many reasons. Throughout my three visits to the college, I noticed the emphasis on community, its focus on undergrads, and the dedication of the professors. The opportunities the Murray Scholarship presented were also added bonuses! The Murray Scholarship will allow me to conduct undergraduate research which will in turn build an experience that is unparalleled by most other undergraduate institutions. Also, the campus is beautiful!!

Major

International Relations/Latin American Studies

Favorite W&M Classes

Human Rights and Humanitarian Intervention Senior Seminar with Professor van der Veen, International Organization with Professor Tierney, and Intermediate Microeconomics with Professor Campbell.

Extracurriculars at W&M

AidData research assistant
W&M Dance Marathon
Campus Kitchens
Alpha Phi Omega
Kappa Alpha Theta
W&M Debate
Amnesty International

Research at W&M

AidData for the Institute for the Theory and Practice of International Relations and transitional justice in Latin American countries that suffered military dictatorships.

Where am I now?

After graduation, I spent time in Uganda. There were definitely difficult moments, but it was wonderful to do development work on the ground after so many years coding aid projects in Blow Memorial Hall basement or my dorm room. We also got to do some great research. I worked with Mike Findley from UT Austin on a project interviewing people who were affected by the Joseph Kony/LRA conflict. We are co-authoring an article publishing the results. I now live in DC and work at Booz Allen Hamilton doing federal consulting. I'm also planning to apply to PhD programs very soon!

View a YouTube video of Elsa in 2012 talking about her 1693 Scholars experience.