Catching up with Alice Amell

The Department of Humanities recently caught up with Alice Amell, a 4th year Lewis College of Human Sciences student. Alice is pursuing a double major in psychology and humanities.

What year in school are you? 

I am in my fourth year here at Illinois Tech.

What is your major?

I have two majors, psychology and humanities, specializing in philosophy.

Why did you choose these degree programs? 

Psychology and philosophy are some of my chief interests, so I wanted to study them in depth and hopefully continue doing so for the rest of my life.

What are the most exciting and challenging aspects of the work you're doing now?

The most exciting aspects are the philosophy courses, which make me question my own beliefs. I sometimes need to defend myself or come up with a new defense for my ideas because I want to be more consistent or rational. My ideas about ethics have changed a lot and been challenged, and I love conversing with my professors about them.

The most challenging part of my work is motivating myself to find time for and commit to my assignments, extracurriculars, etc.

What do you hope to do after completing your degrees?

After graduating, I want to take time off and get a job. Then, I want to go to grad school and hopefully become a philosophy professor.

Outside of school and career, what hobbies and activities do you enjoy?

Other than schoolwork, I like dressing up and going to conventions. I also look forward to competing in the ethics bowl again this year. My favorite activity is roller derby with the Windy City Rollers.

Anything else you want to share?

I have had a pretty uncommon experience because I am a transgender student, and I came out at school as a woman after my second year here. I am really grateful to the [Student] Health and Wellness Center for all their support. I want to thank all my professors for being accommodating and my classmates who have been kind to me. I feel free to be who I am on campus, and that has been a huge boon.