When Virginia Theta Julie Malone began looking for a university to attend, she knew she wanted a school with a strong focus on politics. Through a search on the Internet, she found Washington and Lee University (W&L) and knew it would be where she would attend. The campus is located in Lexington, Virginia, a far distance from Julie’s hometown of Twin Falls, Idaho. Julie knew it would be different from her small town, but her constantly running mind knew she needed to take chances and experiences that were different from what she already knew.
Julie is currently a junior Politics major with concentration in American National Government and a minor in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. She calls her classmates goal-oriented, driven and optimistic. “Being surrounded by motivated and passionate individuals pushes me to be a better version of myself,” says Julie. “The success of my peers encourages me to similarly pursue my goals.” So it is her peers that push Julie to work harder in classes and to participate in extracurricular activities. In some cases, her academic work has crossed over into these activities.
One of these extracurricular activities is the Gender Action Group, which focuses on women, gender and sexuality. This group also ties into Julie’s academic minor. She recently sat on a feminism panel to speak on intersectional feminism, a strain of feminism focusing on the intersecting and overlapping social identities which play into social systems of oppression, such as gender, race, sex, class, and ability. This philosophy is something Julie really believes in and has integrated into her own life, so she wants to help people gain a better understanding of the topic or be a resource if she can. As a result, Julie has become a leader for women’s issues on the W&L campus.
Some of Julie’s other involvements include General’s Unity, Amnesty International and Shakespeare Society. She recently joined the Equestrian Polo Team as a way to revive her love for horse riding. Best of all, Julie is a campus tour guide through University Ambassadors allowing her to share her love of W&L and variety of experiences with admitted students or prospective students and their families.
To say Julie is involved on the W&L campus is an understatement. With each commitment she adds, Julie creates another home and community at W&L. It is easy to see she is leaving a legacy and making an impact on this campus.