Louisa Howe
Sociology and English
Brooklyn, N.Y.
What was your favorite class and why?
If I had to pick just one, it would be the Black Feminism: Practice and Purpose seminar taught by the wonderful Dr. Chelsea Mikael Frazier. A uniquely talented instructor, Dr. Frazier facilitates an incredible learning environment where curiosity, critical analysis and personal reflection go hand in hand.
As a Taiwanese-Chinese-Korean-American girl from Brooklyn, Black feminism as an epistemology has profoundly shaped the way I understand and engage with my own subject positionality, as both a scholar and a human. I am endlessly grateful for the opportunity to learn from the genius of scholars such as Patricia J. Williams and Toni Cade Bambara, especially with the time and attention allotted for in a 4000-level classroom. In a space that encouraged me to ask questions, interrogate my relationship to the world around me, draw on intergenerational wisdom and learn in community with my fellow students, I learned how to listen to myself and others, forming insights that hold space for complexity.
What is your main extracurricular activity and why is it important to you?
The Buddhist Sangha at Cornell has been a foundational part of my college experience. The club began hosting weekly meditations during my freshman year, and since then we have grown into a broader community that includes visiting monks from Tibet, upstate New York and Georgia, interfaith networks on campus, the local Cedarwood Cabin Sangha and the lovely Tibetan Association of Ithaca.
Sangha is the Sanskrit word for community, which forms the basis of our organizational mission and practice. Our discussions are intentionally free-flowing, so everyone can share openly without judgment and trust that the Sangha will listen and respond with care. We welcome those from all backgrounds, and our meetings often include people from different faiths, those simply curious about Buddhism and meditation, graduate students and friends. Above all, I am extremely proud of the relationships the Sangha has built in the spirit of mutual care and connection.
Throughout my time at Cornell, the Sangha has helped me feel a sense of belonging and home with so many different people across campus and beyond. One of my favorite traditions is our annual trip to the Namgyal Monastery to celebrate Losar (the Tibetan New Year), when we get to catch up with friends and share blessings alongside delicious Tibetan food. I also love when we host Buddhist teachers at speaker events that allow us to share our faith with the broader Cornell community.
What have you accomplished as a Cornell student that you are most proud of?
I am most proud of the research I conducted for my senior thesis on student perceptions of sexual assault. The study was created with support from the Cornell Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship, a national network of scholars committed to diverse humanities inquiry, and I am endlessly grateful for the Mellon friends, mentors and community that inspire me to pursue my passions.
My research gave me the opportunity to shed light on important stories and perspectives that are essential to informing how our institution can protect the student body. The funding I received from the Mellon foundation allowed me to compensate interview and survey participants, most of whom were in some way affected by campus sexual assault, for their immeasurably valuable and often vulnerable contributions.
It is a well-documented fact that sexual assault-related work is extremely uncomfortable and emotionally difficult. In addition to my participants, there are many others engaged in campus sexual assault advocacy, in solidarity with whom this work felt possible. Over the course of my study, I consulted with leadership from the Cornell Sexual Assault Prevention and Safety Club (SAPS) and the Sexual Harassment & Assault—Response & Education (SHARE) office at Cornell Health, and I remain invested in supporting the Cornell community with these issues beyond my graduation.
Who or what influenced your Cornell education the most?
My friends <3. Taking the time to grow a wonderful group of people who I know and love, and being diligent about consistently spending time with them, is what keeps me sane and happy at Cornell. Also, I would recommend having friends with different majors and who are involved in interesting things on campus. There's nothing like a persistent friend to motivate you to attend a fashion runway, an open studio, a band show or a comedy special you may not have prioritized otherwise. Friendship: it is the juice of life.
What are your plans for next year?
Next year I will be pursuing an M.Phil. in digital humanities at the University of Cambridge.
Every year, our faculty nominate graduating Arts & Sciences students to be featured as part of our Extraordinary Journeys series. Read more about the Class of 2026.
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