EMMA BRODA: Mentoring Matters

EMMA BRODA: Mentoring Matters

Emma Broda strategically chose Wilkes University to take advantage of the small class sizes, knowing she would gain personalized guidance and easy accessibility to connect with her professors - and she was right. Broda, double majoring in history and political science and minoring in art history and women's and gender studies, found that not only did she form close bonds with her professors, but that many became impactful mentors as she navigated her undergraduate experience.

"I could give a very long list of professors and faculty who have tremendously shaped me during my time at Wilkes and who have been important mentors for different reasons," Broda says.

She notes that a huge benefit of mentoring at Wilkes is the full supply of inspirational advisers who have worked with her during her time here, including Chelsea Chamberlain, assistant professor of history.

"I would, of course, have to say Dr. Chamberlain, who is the reason I became a history major in my first year here and has been a huge influence on my future goals," says Broda, who collaborated with Dr. Chamberlain on the Institution Cemetery Project. Broda helped to create a digital platform to catalogue cemeteries where state hospitals, training centers and asylums buried their deceased patients. The project, which is in support of an upcoming documentary and is being done in collaboration with a professor from the University of Connecticut, encompasses Broda's research on various institutions and their cemeteries to create website pages.

"Emma exhibits a combination of talent and hard work that makes her a truly impressive student," says Chamberlain. "When she worked on the Institution Cemetery Project, she solved a very complicated mystery about a New York cemetery that built two different memorials because of mistakes on the first one!"

Her other mentors include Jonathan Kuiken, associate professor of history and Honors Program director, Ben Toll, associate professor of political science, and Suzanna Calev, archivist and public services librarian, who "has also been so important to my growth as a researcher and writer," credits Broda.

Her mentoring experiences extended beyond the classroom, too. Originally from Exeter, Pennsylvania, Broda took her first trip traveling outside of the United States on a faculty-led expedition with Kuiken and Toll to Ireland and Northern Ireland during her first year. This experience was the inspiration behind her senior capstone for political science and led to her decision to study abroad in a semester-long exchange program at the University of Birmingham in Birmingham, England.

"It was an unforgettable experience in so many ways," says Broda, reflecting on the incredible friends she made from around the world. For her, these connections have proven to be one of the more rewarding parts of her adventure, and she still keeps in touch with them. While abroad, she spent her spring break in Venice, Italy, and had a mini-reunion with other friends. "I really enjoyed studying at a different university and challenging myself with the courses I took," she says. "I genuinely loved living in the UK, being able to get out of my comfort zone and having so many new experiences."

When she is not studying or traveling, she is a member and small group coordinator of the Wilkes University Honors Program, belongs to the History Club triumvirate and is a peer writing consultant for the University's Writing Center. If that wasn't enough, she also holds a work-study position in the Wilkes University Archives and has previously served as a staff writer and editor for The Beacon.

Broda brings a unique perspective to her busy schedule. "I think it helps that I love these activities and they don't really feel like extra work or school for me. I'm getting to do things I love so I don't often feel overwhelmed by them," she says. This mindset has allowed her to expand her horizons by trying new things while gaining invaluable hands-on skills working with professors and staff members across campus. "I've been able to get a lot of experience in researching, writing, transcribing and more. These are skills I will continue to use in the future," Broda says.

Broda generously acknowledges her mentors for these experiences to work on research projects and to travel abroad, which have helped her to explore her innate curiosity. "Something that has always stuck with me, and will probably continue to do so, is Dr. Toll emphasizing how important it is as a student to be curious," says Broda. "He has reminded me that this is a quality that I possess, and knowing that my intellectual curiosity is something to pursue has been beneficial."

Using curiosity as a compass, she looks forward to the future and recounts the support she received to help her get to where she is now. "I doubt I would have made it this far without Dr. Kuiken's willingness to give me incredible advice, opportunities and to just generally listen to me."

In the fall, Broda will begin pursuing her master's degree in history at Villanova University, where she has also been awarded a research assistantship. "I think I would not have had the confidence to apply to graduate programs without my mentors' advice and all the help they provided throughout the process. I also certainly would not have had as much on my CV if it were not for the opportunities I had because of them," says Broda. "They have pushed me to become a stronger student and I'm doubtful I would be where I am without them."