Achievement of Personal Fulfillment Among Seniors at the 2024 Scholarly Gathering

The Academic Conference at College of the Holy Cross, held on Wednesday, April 24th, was a testament to the intellectual vibrancy and diversity of its students. Over six hundred and twenty Crusaders participated in this annual scholarly tradition, with forty-five departments, societies, programs, and clusters represented.

Among the presenters were graduating seniors from the Class of 2024, including Kallie Poon '24, a senior chemistry major, who presented her research titled "A spoonful of salt: salt dependent protein splicing in Halobacterium salinarum". Her lecture was originally delivered by Dr. Jennifer L. Smith at the Academic Congress of Holy Cross College on the same day.

David Brush '24 showcased his poetic talents at the Religious Studies panel, while Ethan Peng '24, a member of the English Honor Society, presented a creative project called "ABCs: American Born Chinese Stories".

Hannah Smyth '24, a member of the College Honors Program, presented her research in the Chemistry department and her Asian Studies project in the symposium titled "Confucian Values and Human Rights". Her thesis, written in French, was the first to be written in a foreign language for the College Honors Program.

Damon Kruppa, a member of both the Economic and Accounting Honors Program and an Economics major with a Statistics minor, presented his thesis project, "The Impact of the Subminimum Wage on Individuals with Cognitive Disabilities", at the "Senior Policy Boot Camp of the National Down Syndrome Society Advocacy Conference in Washington, DC" before the Academic Conference. His presentation at the Academic Conference further solidified his decision to continue working in the field of human services.

In preparation for his presentation, Damon collaborated with his thesis advisor and various professors with different backgrounds and viewpoints. His work also included a visit to Capitol Hill to meet with congressmen and legislators to advocate for SSI reform.

The Academic Conference is more than just an opportunity for seniors to demonstrate their intellectual growth and self-actualization over four years enrolled at the College of the Holy Cross. It is also a platform for students to connect across disciplines and take their work off the Hill and into other exciting careers and opportunities. The school takes pride in this annual event, and the class of 2024 is grateful for the opportunity to prove themselves as committed scholars before the end of their time as undergraduates.

Achievement of Personal Fulfillment Among Seniors at the 2024 Scholarly Gathering