Declaring your major is an experience that may fly under the radar for some seniors as just another step to graduation. For Josefina Scriven, declaring her three majors in International Studies, Latin American & Caribbean Studies, and Spanish was a moment that unlocked so many more courses and helped her focus on her interests.

“I went to my advisor’s office to double minor but I ended up triple majoring because she said it would be so much easier and you’ll be able to take so many more classes that you want to take. That’s the beauty of PICS, that you can take anything that really interests you that has to do with your specialized area. To be able to declare not only International Studies, which helped me focus on comparative culture, but also Latin American & Caribbean Studies and Spanish allowed me to get really specific on my work in Latin America,” Scriven said.

After graduation, Scriven will be working in New York City as a corporate paralegal for Cleary Gottlieb law firm and hopes to apply to law school in the coming years. She said this interest in international law was always there but working with Professor Sueann Caulfield on her thesis solidified her career aspirations.

“Her work with international law, specifically in Latin America and its history and the context behind it, was really eye-opening and her class was cross-listed with history and PICS which was incredible because I was able to use multiple disciplines when being introduced to international law,” Scriven said.

As Scriven prepares to leave the University, she said she’ll never forget those long nights in the UGLI and Hatcher, eating UGLI sushi and working on drafting chapters with her thesis cohort.

Josefina Scriven

BA International Studies (Comparative Culture and Identity), BA Latin American & Caribbean Studies, BA Spanish ‘20

Hometown: Buenos Aires, Argentina

Affiliations: Kappa Omega Alpha Pre-Law and Public Policy Fraternity

Future plans: “I will be working in New York City as a corporate paralegal for Cleary Gottlieb law firm. I hope to eventually apply to law school in the future and focus on a career in international law.”

Fondest memory of her experience in PICS: “My fondest memory was walking into my advisor's office and declaring three majors, it was one of the scariest but most exciting endeavors I have taken in my academic life.”