Senior Profiles

Chloe Rose Holliman

What was your major at UT? What will you be doing when you graduate?

I am graduating with a double major in Government and the Plan II Honors Program. After graduation, I'll be moving to Washington, DC to work in political communications or government relations. I plan to take the LSAT this year, then attend law school after a year or two working in the political sphere.

What's one book you really enjoyed studying as an undergrad? Why that one?

I wrote my final Bible and Its Interpreters essay on the book of Revelations, and I really enjoyed diving deep into that one. It led me down a rabbit hole of apocalyptic theologies, which I found fascinating, especially as someone raised in a faith community that rarely touched on the end times. 

Got any funny stories about your time here that you'd be willing to share publicly?

Some of my favorite memories from Jefferson Scholars come from my experience in Rome as a part of the RILA summer program. There's an Irish pub in Rome called Scholar's Lounge, which our cohort was known to frequent. I have so many memories there, like one night spent screaming One Direction songs at their karaoke night, getting a late night sandwich at this spot called Donkey Punch, then waking up early to discuss The Landmark Thucydides in Professor Dempsey's class. 

What are you most going to miss?

I'll definitely miss hanging out in the JSP lounge. When I'm alone there, it's such a peaceful place to read or work, but when there's a crowd, it's the best place to get into a fun debate about anything and everything under the sun. 

Do you have any advice for incoming Jefferson Scholars?

APPLY TO RILA! My summer in Rome was such a formidable experience, and gave me a really wonderful community that I am still in contact with today. The classes are engaging, but not overly demanding, so you really get to experience the city to the fullest. 

Anything else you'd like to say?

The JSP community is truly a special little corner of the Forty Acres, and I'm so happy I was able to call it a home. The diversity of thought I was exposed to through this program has shaped me into a critical yet compassionate thinker, with strength in my beliefs and humility to admit when I'm wrong. For that, I am so thankful.

 

Benjamin Yu

What was your major at UT? What will you be doing when you graduate?

I'm graduating with an accounting major, finance minor, CTI certificate (of course!), and some additional coursework in design. It's important to be well-rounded! After graduation, I'll be working as a financial services auditor in New York City. 

What's one book you really enjoyed studying as an undergrad? Why that one?

Most recently, I've enjoyed getting my teeth into Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche in my class, the Question of Relativism. It's the first time I'm exploring Nietzsche's thought this closely, and there's a lot of interesting ideas in here. Some are interesting and not necessarily more than that- because they aren't clearly actionable- like his perception of Judaism and Christianity as world-changing because they turned traits previously associated with weakness into virtues. Some others are more harrowing. 

What are you most going to miss?

Among other things, it's been sobering to know I will soon lose my ability to go grocery shopping at 3pm on a Thursday. 

Do you have any advice for incoming Jefferson Scholars?

In freshman year, a professor gave me some advice that I've found genuinely helpful. I'll share it here: be in the wrong room. Put yourselves in places where you'll learn things your peers (competitors) won't. You'll be surprised by how many hidden synergies and applications you find.