Student & Alumni Spotlight: Camille Wise

Finding Her Place in the Humanities

Camille Wise's academic journey has taken her from Cal State Long Beach, where she earned dual degrees in Africana Studies and Comparative World Literature, to Cal State Fullerton's American Studies master's program and now Brown University, where she is pursuing a Ph.D. in Africana Studies. Along the way, faculty mentorship, research opportunities, and a passion for the humanities helped shape her path toward scholarship, teaching, and community-centered research.

Tell us a little about yourself and your academic journey.

Sure! I was born and raised in the Inland Empire. I'm considered a foodie (a huge fan of sushi and ramen), I love thrifting, and I'm a triple earth sign (Taurus, Virgo, Virgo).

I completed my undergraduate studies at Cal State Long Beach, where I earned dual degrees in Africana Studies and Comparative World Literature. After a year, I decided to pursue a graduate degree in American Studies at Cal State Fullerton.

Currently, I am pursuing a doctoral degree in Africana Studies at Brown University.

 
What inspired you to pursue your area of study?

For Comparative World Literature, it started with my love of reading as a kid. I loved reading all types of genres and enjoyed being able to continue that in college. Also, Comparative Literature courses had more exciting books on the syllabus than English courses (no offense to English majors).

For American Studies, I really appreciated the department's incorporation of popular culture throughout the coursework.

For Africana (Black) Studies, I found myself doing much of my personal, emotional, pedagogical, and intellectual growth within the field.

 
Why HSS? What drew you to the humanities and social sciences?

If I'm being honest, I started out as a STEM major during my undergraduate studies. Like a lot of people, I was set on becoming a doctor who was going to save lives and all that.

I found myself really bored in those courses because much of the work involved memorizing and repeating information. In contrast, humanities courses challenged me to think critically about things I had never considered before.

I also found topics, experiences, and perspectives that felt more relevant to my own life and to people who look and speak like me. So I stayed.

 
Was there a class, professor, research project, internship, or experience that had a major impact on you?

At Fullerton, I met a lot of great professors. In the American Studies department, I worked closely with Dr. Kristin Rowe, Dr. Sara Fingal, and Dr. Eric Gonzaba.

With Dr. Gonzaba, I worked as a graduate assistant on Mapping the Gay Guides, which was a great experience and jumpstarted my interest in the digital humanities.

I took many classes with Dr. Rowe, and she served as a mentor throughout my program. We still meet up whenever I'm back in California.

Dr. Fingal probably had the biggest impact on me while I was at Fullerton, and she continues to do so. I worked as her graduate assistant on a research project that eventually became a co-authored paper and led to my first international conference presentation.

She and many other CSU faculty members showed me the importance of care in mentorship and pedagogy, and I don't know if I can ever fully express how grateful I am to them.

I also worked with Dr. Monica Hanna in the Chicana and Chicano Studies Department, so I have to give a quick shoutout to her as well.

 
What accomplishment are you most proud of during your time at CSUF?

Definitely graduating. Graduate school is difficult!

 
What are you doing now, or what are your plans for the future?

I'm currently at Brown University pursuing a Ph.D. in Africana Studies.

My future plans include teaching my own courses, writing a dissertation, and hopefully securing a postdoctoral position or a job in academia.

On a more personal note, I am also planning a trip to Japan.

 
How has your HSS experience influenced your personal or professional goals?

In a lot of ways. I went from wanting to be a forensic pathologist to an educator and mentor, which is really funny to think about as I'm writing this out.

 
What advice would you give current or future HSS students?

Invest in your personal interests and growth.

If rejection comes, that's okay. Rejection is redirection.

I also recommend pursuing a research assistantship or internship whenever possible. They are incredibly valuable experiences.