Breadcrumb
Environmental Studies, B.A. | Class of
Shiloh Green Soto
Doctoral Student
Employer: University of California Merced
Job description: I’m a Ph.D. student in the Interdisciplinary Humanities Graduate Group at the University of California, Merced (UCM) and a Luce Fellow with the UCM Public Humanities Design Studio.
Housed in the Department of History & Critical Race and Ethnic Studies, my dissertation research is predicated on the work I am doing as project director for the Livingston Centennial Public History Project. I am working alongside the UCM Library and several community partners to develop a community network and repository of historical information and materials, oral histories, and a digital platform to exhibit a narrative storyline about Livingston's community history. With an emphasis in digital humanities research for ethnic studies, the bulk of this work focuses on labor, social, and environmental movement in the town of Livingston. The Livingston Centennial project is made possible through the undergraduate researchers with whom I have the opportunity to mentor, direct, and work alongside. My project is partly funded through the "Developing Resilient and Integrative Humanities Research with San Joaquin Valley Communities" initiative at UC Merced.
You can learn more at shilohgreensoto.com.
About Shiloh
Why did you choose this program?
Since high school, I have had a devoted interest in social movement and the ways in which power affects working-class and marginalized people. I wanted to understand not only how unchecked power can catalyze socio-environmental problems, but also how the rest of us can fight back. HSU's ENST program helped me to think analytically about broader systemic problems which impact our everyday lives and futures. From a professional standpoint, I also found in ENST access to training in Community Organizing and a number of leadership opportunities which helped to narrow my career goals.
How did this program prepare you for your job?
The ENST program prepared me for graduate school by exposing me to people-centered humanities research and action-oriented learning. Through the ENST program, I was able to take advantage of several leadership opportunities which helped me to develop strong project management skills—these skills are crucial to successfully manage any sort of research project. The heavy writing emphasis in ENST helped me to develop the ability to organize and clearly communicate ideas in written form. Above all, I learned a lot from ENST faculty on how to facilitate a student-led classroom—my teaching techniques to this day mirror Sarah Ray, John Meyer, and Mark Baker's efforts to help students come to important conclusions through discussion.
My long-term career goal is to work in a university setting overseeing public humanities-based projects in the surrounding community, and the ENST program provided numerous resources to help me come to this conclusion.
What did you enjoy most about the program?
As a member of ENST's second graduating class, there were a lot of opportunities to get involved in shaping the program: I co-founded the ENST Club, voted on program emphases, organized speaking engagements, and worked to shape the program's broader identity for incoming students. These opportunities helped to develop a sense of connection and community that I always look back on with appreciation. Assigned readings and class discussions fulfilled my curiosity and unpacked big ideas into digestible pieces in a safe space. My time in ENST was intellectually and socially fulfilling, and that's in large part due to efforts by faculty to center students in the learning process.
What would you say to prospective students who are thinking about applying to this program?
ENST is a writing and reading-heavy program, so come prepared to spend many hours doing exactly that. If what you're reading doesn't make sense on the first go, I encourage you to try again until it makes sense. What you learn in ENST is invaluable, so it behooves you to make the effort to dive into the work. Always annotate your readings with 'MP' for main point, 'ARG' for argument, 'Q' for research questions, and always define words you aren't familiar with. It's always helpful to then bring your annotated readings to class so you can more actively engage in discussion. If the work is still a struggle, develop a study group so you can pre-discuss ideas! The work is hard, but it's so, so doable, and so, so interesting. There's also a lot of really interesting clubs at HSU, so be sure to stop by when there are tabling fairs in the quad and sign up to volunteer—you'll likely meet your people this way. HSU and ENST are full of so many great opportunities, and you have a lot of power in shaping your experience.