Recent Grads
Grant Emerson '20
Growing up in Canandaigua, New York meant that I never considered going to college at Hobart and William Smith because it was “too close to home.” However, my thoughts changed when I visited for Accepted Student’s Day during my senior year of high school. Knowing I wanted to study Economics and International Relations, I walked over to the Economic Department’s table and met my future adviser. After a conversation with Associate Professor of Economics Keoka Grayson, the only question I had was about International Relations. This first interaction was enough for me to commit to the Colleges.
In the fall of my sophomore year, I finally had the opportunity to take “Introduction to International Relations” with my future Honors adviser, Professor of Political Science Kevin Dunn. Little did I know what I was getting myself into. Almost immediately, I fell in love with the subject matter—from discussions on foreign policy to issues in political economy—and that’s when it became my second major.
After taking “Theories of IR” with Professor Dunn during my junior year, I decided to ask him if he would advise an Honors project with me. When I thought about the topic of my Honors project, I recalled my unforgettable experience studying abroad in Havana, Cuba in the summer after my first year at the Colleges. One year later, I finished writing my nearly 150-page Honors Thesis, titled “Identity and the Foreign Policy Decision-Making Process: Analyzing U.S. Foreign Policy in Cuba from 1959 to 1963.” Working with Professor Dunn allowed me to develop my researching and writing skills but also gave me a sense of what working on post-graduate work entailed.
Before coming to the Colleges, I wanted to go to law school so that I could someday practice law in New York State. The amount of independent learning, persistence and dedication I gained from working on my Honors project gave me the skills to find success in my first year at Syracuse University College of Law. The biggest surprise upon entering law school was the amount of independent learning required by students. The time, commitment and perseverance needed to work on an Honors project mirrored the same principles necessary for all course work in law school. Not only do I credit much of my success in my first year at Syracuse to the experiences I had at HWS but also to the opportunity of working with Professor Dunn on my Honors Thesis.
When I graduate from Syracuse University College of Law in 2023, I plan to enter the practice of real estate and civil litigation. I hope to give back to the Colleges through my time because I believe the best way to give back is by paying your success forward. With this mindset, I would like to be involved in mentoring prospective law students at HWS as they look to begin their legal careers.