- Pronouns:
- She/ Her
Claire is an incoming Linguistics and International Studies major. She proudly won 1st place in Informative Speaking at the 2024 Montana State Speech and Debate Tournament. Her speech on the history of human language allowed her to merge her interests in linguistics, history, sociology, and policy in a competitive setting.
Claire draws inspiration from pop culture icons like Joan Jett and Dolly Parton, as well as characters like Ripley from Alien and Scully from The X-Files, who remind her to be tenacious and authentic. Her favorite book is Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto, with its powerful commentary on grief, relationships, and transformation. Claire also values the quote by Louise Erdrich, “Things which do not grow and change are dead things,” as a reminder to embrace change.
Empathy is Claire’s most important value, as she believes it underpins the solutions to all our shared struggles. She is also passionate about music, with a collection of CDs and vinyl records that she began at age seven. Claire is eager to explore Bloomington’s record shops and local music scene. She will hold the Sherrill and Helen Deputy Scholarship.