Philosophy – Outstanding Senior 2022

Honor graduation status

• Cum laude

Internships & Employment

• WSU Ambassador, Cougar Connector, Office of Admissions
• Legal Intern for Kent City Hall

Undergraduate Research

• Thesis topic: The nationalization of news on social media and the bias to national politics with more consumption of social media.

Honored Faculty and Mentors

• Dr. Mark Fagiano, Philosophy
• Dr. Michael Goldsby, Philosophy
• Dr. Laci Hubbard-Mattix, Philosophy

Faculty Comments

“Nearly every philosopher in PPPA sings the praises of Malea’s work. Malea was in my Introduction to Formal Logic—a class that is required of and dreaded by many pre-law majors. Not mincing words, she kicked butt. Moreover, I remember that while getting a high grade was important for her, she was more interested in sponging up knowledge. Malea embodies the Coug spirit.” –Dr. Michael Goldsby

“Malea was—and is—able to grasp the material quite readily and use the material to furnish her own understanding of the main topics of each course demonstrating a strong capacity to master and apply extremely complex philosophical ideas. The second attribute of Malea’s character was her proclivity and ability to ask penetrating questions about the material of these courses. This is a trait, a habit, endemic to philosophy itself. I must admit, sometimes her questions were challenging, and on occasion I had to think deeply about how best I could answer them. Malea’s writing always demonstrated her ability to follow a logically sound and well-ordered structure in her all her papers. She was exceedingly and uniquely creative in the way she did this. Writing anything, much less philosophical works, is difficult, and coming up with interesting and relevant topics is quite challenging; but apparently, this seems to come naturally for Malea.” –Dr. Mark Falgiani

Personal Statement

“What I value most out of my experience here at WSU is how it has taught me to value my individuality and pursue what I am passionate about. WSU, along with the support of my family and friends, has given me the opportunity to explore my love for philosophy and stress the need for a critical understanding of the world around us.”

Future Plans

Malea plans to either attend law school in 2-3 years—perhaps for a career in public service— or to pursue a master’s degree in political science or a PhD in philosophy.