Basil Kiracofe

“I chose Carthage because of the women’s wrestling team and the scholarships I received. Going into college, I wanted to continue wrestling and developing the skills I learned in high school, and Carthage gave me that opportunity.”

“The Carthage faculty are some of the most supportive people I’ve ever met. They genuinely care about my well-being and have supported me every step of the way in my academic journey. Professors Robin Holmes and Jeffrey Roberg have made my Carthage experience through their incredible teaching and support.”

“My favorite class so far has been Gender in the Arts with Professor Robin Holmes. The course covered the portrayal of gender in art throughout the years, and how the portrayal of gender changed with the changing political and religious systems of each region. It was amazing to see how my majors and minor all overlapped — it was truly an eye-opening experience.”

“On campus, I serve as Student Government president. It’s been an honor to be able to support the students at Carthage and find out how we can improve our campus. I’m a part of Model United Nations, which is an organization where we learn about real-world problems and potential solutions while developing new skills, and I’m a member of the Mock Trial team, where we take a criminal or civil case and compete against other teams across the nation. I’m also a wrestler on the women’s wrestling team at Carthage. It’s been a great opportunity to continue to develop in my sport while learning to be more mindful and manage my time more efficiently.”

“I serve as a member of the Title IX Working Group and the Critical Community Response Team (CCRT). Both are groups that work to improve our campus by making effective changes in our Title IX policies, hosting programming, and being a resource for students on campus.”

“I work on campus as a digital communications intern for the Office of Marketing and Communications. In this role, I perform many website updates, build student and faculty profiles, and write stories for the website. I also had the opportunity to work off campus as a paralegal intern for the Kenosha Public Defender’s Office. This role taught me about the ins-and-outs of being an attorney, what the workload looks like, and allowed me to make an active difference in my community.”

“My career goal is to work with sexual assault and domestic violence victims. Whether that means working as a lawyer or through a non-profit organization, I want to give back to my community through the lessons and skills I’ve learned in my internships and on-campus involvement. Doing Carthage’s Title IX work has inspired me to continue down this path and helped me find what I’m truly passionate about.”

“I recommend finding a place to study that holds you accountable, such as working with others or being in a public space. Seeing others get their work done is motivating and has helped me a lot when I’m struggling to focus on my studies. Additionally, I recommend having your study space not be the same place that you sleep, eat, or use your phone, as it can become more of a distraction or signal to your body that it’s time to do something else.”

“There are so many ways to make friends at Carthage! Whether it is through an athletic team, club, class, or the people living in the same dorm building as you, you’ll meet and interact with so many different people. Take the time to get to know your peers and don’t be afraid to reach out to others!”

“The biggest surprise so far is the support from everyone on campus and how everyone drives themselves to improve. Carthage, as a whole, has been improving significantly in my time on campus through our policies and initiatives, and the students continue to improve themselves daily. Being part of a motivated group like this has encouraged me to do more and make a difference.”