Morgan Allegrove-Hodges ’20 (CLAS)
Major: English and sociology
Hometown: South Windsor, CT
What was your first year at UConn like?
My first year at UConn was my second year of college. I transferred to UConn after going to a school in Boston for architecture. I went to the Hartford campus for my sophomore year and I commuted from home. My first year at UConn Hartford was a lot of chaos. It was a lot of getting used to things such as switching majors, switching schools, and then living at home after being in the city. But my first year was also really exciting. I got to do an alternative break in Birmingham, Alabama, which was something I had always wanted to do. Through being at UConn and doing alt-break, I felt like I was a part of a community.
Why did you choose to study this major?
I realized I wanted to be an English major when I was taking a poetry class at my previous school. I found that at the end of every class I wanted to go back to my dorm room and only work on my poems, not my coursework for architecture. English was always something I was passionate about but never pursued. I finally did when I came to UConn.
How do you think studying abroad impacted you as a student?
For my junior year, I studied abroad in Rome, Italy. Studying abroad gave me the opportunities to be a lot more independent both as a student and a person. It was also the first time I got to do an independent research project, because I took a class in the spring where I was collecting my own primary data. I went into the class and I gave the professor my idea for research and she said, “Okay great, go do that!” It was amazing and so much fun to be able to research what I was interested in and have the full support of my professor.
What has been your experience with UCTV?
I am in the UCTV film club and I am currently directing my own short film. We decide on what movies to produce by pitching our ideas to each other. I was not even planning on pitching my movie idea because I did not think it could win. But, in a spur of the moment, I decided to. On the bus home, I ended up getting texts from my friends in the club congratulating me on winning. It was such a great moment because I was not expecting it at all. It was one of the moments when UConn felt like home and a community for me. Being involved in UCTV is something I am so grateful I had the opportunity to be a part of at UConn.
How has your CLAS education specifically benefited you as a student or like your future career?
The whole way of thinking in CLAS, to me, is very fundamental and very important. Like learning about social issues, narratives, issues in other people’s lives, and trying to find real-life solutions is the core of what I have been studying. CLAS has allowed me to learn and think in a way that will better shape the future.
