Working 9 to 5 at an immigration clinic. Developing curriculum in the Netherlands. Capturing familial stories through a documentary lens. These are just a few moments from Harvard undergraduates’ experiences through Harvard-sponsored funding and partnerships this summer. Three rising seniors share their summer plans, all with an eye toward their futures.
Scholarship and Service
Amiel Katz ’25 is working at Harvard Law School’s Immigration and Refugee Clinic.
“I am learning a lot, and actually learned that I like a 9 to 5.” As someone interested in pursuing public service work and going to law school, this is a great opportunity. “It’s reinforcing my interest in immigration law,” says Katz.
In addition, Katz is excited to begin research for her senior thesis this summer. She is hoping to complete a project on 1980s U.S. immigration stories, most likely with a focus on Central America.
Katz is also looking forward to traveling to Switzerland in August, made possible by funding from the Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholarship, two-year funding to support students with a passion for public service.
Her dream is to complete a joint JD-PhD program, so a summer spent with both hands-on legal experience and academic research aligns well.
Here and Beyond
Serena Jampel ’25 is also making connections between her summer internship experience and personal scholarship this summer. She is working for the Institute for Historical Justice and Reconciliation, an NGO based in The Hague. Her internship is through a partnership with the Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies at Harvard.
“I am working on their Contested Histories project, researching and compiling reports on monuments, museums, and other public history that have been contested recently,” she said. “I’m also helping write curriculum for teachers to use when teaching about the controversial Robert E. Lee statue in Charlottesville.”
Jampel shares her excitement for her summer plans. “This summer, I am looking forward to learning about historical reconciliation and restitution on a global scale, while exploring the Netherlands! I’m also really excited by this project because it directly relates to my upcoming thesis on a contested statue in Haverhill, Massachusetts.”
Filming People and Place
For Sophia Pasalis ’25, this summer is about “artistic creation and representation of place.” Pasalis received generous funding from the Sidney M. Williams Jr. Traveling Fund for Visual Art through the Mignone Center for Career Success. She’s making a film in Newfoundland and Labrador as part of her joint concentration in History & Literature and Art, Film, and Visual Studies.
Pasalis hopes to paint a vivid landscape grounded in research and lived experience “by researching the archives in St. John’s, conducting interviews, capturing the landscape through cinematography, and hopefully producing a film worthy of the people and the place.”
“The entry point to this film is a beautiful painting by Jean Claude Roy of my mother’s hometown,” she said, noting the personal significance of location to her film. “I’m excited to tie in my personal connection to the place with other nonfiction narratives.”
Summer break offers a glimpse into a future students can try on through internships, research, and international experiences. Though the summer before senior year may be stressful, with thesis research, upcoming job prospects, and summer responsibilities, Katz, Jampel, and Pasalis have found exciting ways to bridge personal academic endeavors with future plans.