Meet Anna Synya

Who have been some of your strongest mentors or role models here?
Dr. Jagodinsky and Dr. Cory Young

Do you have research experience (UCARE or other)?
I started as a FYRE student my first year and was then a UCARE student for my next two years on the 'Petitioning for Freedom: Habeas Corpus in the American West' project which allowed me to develop my skills and interest in legal history.
Habeas Corpus is a writ requiring a person under arrest to be brought before a judge and argue that they are being unjustly detained or imprisoned.

Dr. Jagodinsky is the primary investigator on this project, and the project collects Habeas Corpus petitions in the North American West to digitize case information for a multi-user relational legal database. She has been a mentor for me over the years and has helped me focus on graduate-level research and opportunities.

With this project, I learned about encoding, legal theory, research presentation, and how to work with other researchers. Additionally, since joining, I've been inspired to pursue minors in Digital Humanities and History, which then led me to join the Digital Humanities Student Association!

Did you/are you going to study abroad?
Due to my work on the Petitioning for Freedom project and my own passion for stories of freedom and legal history, I decided to apply for the Fulbright award for the 2024-2025 academic year and continue to pursue history in other parts of the world. Specifically, I applied for the Dublin City University Taught Master's Program Award in Dublin, Ireland, and ended up being chosen by the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board and becoming a Fulbright Finalist!

What are you involved in on campus or in the community?
CARE Peer Educator, TRIO, UCARE & FYRE, University Student Conduct Board

What are your plans after graduation?
Attend Dublin City University with the Fulbright and get my MA in History.