Marena Bridges, '14 MA

Some of the most important things I took away from ASU were not confined to a classroom. They were the friendships, intellectual community, and sense of purpose that stayed with me long after graduation.

I completed my M.A. in Social Justice and Human Rights through ASU's New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences in 2014. During my first year, I lived on the West campus in Glendale and completed most of my coursework there. I moved to Tempe during my second year, when I no longer needed to travel to the West campus as frequently. Although I remember both places fondly, my strongest memories are of the people I met in my graduate program. Several of my classmates became close friends, and some of those friendships remain an important part of my life today.

ASU also helped set me on the path to becoming the scholar and educator I am now. The program strengthened my research and critical analysis skills, deepened my commitment to social justice, and prepared me for the demands of doctoral study. In 2026, I earned my Ph.D. in Leadership and Change, with a concentration in Humanities and Culture, from Antioch University. My doctoral research explored Oneida mourning practices, intergenerational trauma, and the responsibilities carried by women within a matrilineal culture.

Today, I teach undergraduate humanities courses and continue to research and write about Oneida and Haudenosaunee culture, identity, governance, and community life. The interdisciplinary perspective I developed at ASU continues to shape both my scholarship and my teaching.

When I think about my time at ASU, I do not think of one game, event, or single defining day. I remember the everyday experience of learning alongside people who shared many of my interests and commitments. I remember finding friendships that would endure for years. Most of all, I remember building an intellectual foundation that ultimately carried me from an M.A. at ASU to earning my Ph.D.