Honours graduate wins Australasian thesis prize
“It was liberating to be able to choose something that I would enjoy researching for my thesis,” says Molly who combined her previous study of both political science and Spanish in her thesis ‘Political transition in Chile: The case of Villa Grimaldi’.
Supervisor Dr Andrea Hepworth encouraged Molly to research a topic which interested her and to use the knowledge and skills gained from her Bachelor of Arts. Andrea’s guidance and support was ‘invaluable’: “Honours theses can be overwhelming at times but she kept me on track,” says Molly.
Support also came from her other lecturers and classmates. “We had a small, close-knit group studying Honours in languages and we all did a short course together,” Molly says. “The guidance we received was so instrumental and the course also gave us an opportunity to support each other, get feedback from lecturers, and not feel isolated.”
The AILASA judges complimented Molly’s research and engagement with both Chilean political and cultural history and memory studies: “The thesis was a pleasure to read, from start to finish, and well deserving of the inaugural AILASA Honours Thesis Prize. The analysis is thoughtful and a testament to the student's engagement with both Chilean political and cultural history and the rich field of memory studies.”