In vino veritas: how one student pairs passion with education

What do you get when you mix psychology, sociology, business and wine? For Sierra Tartaglia it was a capstone project at the end of her Interdisciplinary Studies degree program - a wine pairing guide that blends her own experience in the restaurant industry with an academic program spanning three disciplines.

For Tartaglia, a Meridian, Idaho, native, the choice to come to Boise State was natural. All the choices after that were less clear.

"I started right out of high school and I really didn't know what path I was going to choose when I got into university," she said.

Tartaglia explored her options, enjoying the psychology and sociology classes she took, but after two years she didn't have a clear idea about what to major in. She stepped away from academics for a few semesters and discovered the Interdisciplinary Studies program when she returned.

It was everything she needed: a program that would help build a well-rounded skillset that could prepare her for anything after graduation, while allowing her to continue studying the subjects she was passionate about.

"I didn't want to jump right into something that just didn't feel super right to me," Tartaglia said. "My love for psychology and sociology is why I wanted to explore a bigger picture of everything. I wanted to have a really broad understanding of everything I liked."

Tartaglia brought all of her passions together in her senior capstone project in the spring 2025. She wrote, designed and published a wine pairing guide called "Pour Decisions: A Mini Guide to Wine and Food Pairings."

"In my last semester, I found out about a class called Fundamentals of Wine and Winemaking," Tartaglia said. That class, paired with her own restaurant background, helped her write the book's content. Guidance from School for the Digital Future faculty member Margaret Sass helped her put it all together in a finished product, ready for publication.

Tartaglia completed every element of the book on her own, with occasional guidance from generative AI tools. That included designing elements of the book that she was less experienced with, like the front cover.

"I went through several drafts to try and figure out exactly what I wanted, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out," she said.

Tartaglia is one of many students who are preparing for an unknown future, one in which AI is disrupting the job market and career paths are becoming less certain. After graduating in May 2025, Tartaglia is excited to explore her options - with a published book to her name.

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