Degrees by Design: Spring 2025 Individualized Majors Turn Passion into Purpose

May 7, 2025 

By Stephanie Godward, Communications and Marketing Director, College of Arts & Sciences 

Several students are graduating from the Individualized Major Program this Saturday to pursue careers in everything from medicine, to Arabic, education, and reshaping the arts world through inclusive cultural leadership. 

Mallory Slucher is graduating with an Individualized Major in Arabic Language and Middle Eastern Studies. The goal of her major was to create an academic curriculum where she could work toward reaching conversational fluency in Arabic, as well as gain a robust understanding of Middle Eastern and Islamic culture greater than what the Arabic and MEIS minors allow.  

Her capstone project is entitled, "Working Toward Fluency: Field Notes from an Arabic Language Student.”  

“I provide insight about being a language student and my overall takeaways for reaching conversational fluency,” Slucher said. “I never thought I would be able to graduate with a degree that reflects the countless hours I have devoted to learning Arabic. I am thankful the Liberal Studies department helped me turn a passion into a tangible reality!” 

After graduating, Slucher will remain at UofL to earn a master's degree in political science.  

In addition to building their own degrees, the individualized major gives students the tools to succeed in a competitive job market and prepares them for any professional and academic graduate program. Individualized majors combine three areas of study and complete a few different requirements before entering the program, one of which is submitting a written proposal about their proposed degree program for approval by Program Director Andreas Elpidorou. 

Emily Stucky’s major is "Education, Policy, and Society." It combines education, psychology, and social change with the goal of studying various aspects of society that affect education, and what it really means to learn and teach in today's society. Stucky's capstone is a website that summarizes her course of study, research findings, and overall philosophy of teaching. 

“After graduation, I will be starting a M.Ed. At the University of Notre Dame, as part of their ACE Teaching Fellows program. I plan to teach middle and high school history,” Stucky said. “I appreciated the flexible nature of the program, allowing me to blend the subjects I found interesting into a veritable course of study!” 

Stucky’s advice to students exploring the Individualized Major program is this: “I would advise students to really think about what they're passionate about, and pursue it no matter what. Even if the degree doesn't exist yet, it can still be interesting to pursue!” 

Bradley Scarbrough’s major is a combination of Biology, Chemistry, and Communications.  

“The title of my major is 'Medicine and Patient Advocacy Studies,’” he said. “I chose this because these are what I consider to be the foundation of medicine. You need Biology and Chemistry to understand basic medical treatment and principles. The communication aspect was chosen because I value the provider and patient understanding more than anything. I want to be able to talk to my patients in a way they can relate to so that they trust me and can adequately understand their medical diagnosis.” 

Scarbrough plans to apply to physician assistance programs and if all goes well, he will be starting in a master's program by spring of 2026. 

“Personally, the communications have impacted me the most. I used the skills I learned to help develop a better relationship not only with my patients, but also my family and friends,” he said. “I never expected the practicality of this degree translating to healthier relationships with those closest to me. I am grateful to this degree for helping me develop a closer relationship to my mother who I have been distant from for the majority of my life.” 

He encourages students to take classes, have fun, and choose a major that won't only help you in the future, but actually means something to you.  

“I firmly believe this degree is the way of the future of education,” he said of the program. “Make it your own and make your education personal.” 

Emily Ravenscraft’s major is Inclusive Cultural Leadership. This emerged from a desire to bridge her artistic identity as a classically trained violinist with her deepening commitment to equity, representation, and community engagement in the arts.  

“As both a musician and an arts administrator, I have witnessed firsthand how the classical music world often upholds exclusionary traditions under the guise of ‘excellence’ and ‘canon.’ My academic journey has been driven by a need to interrogate these assumptions and to reimagine how institutions—from orchestras to educational programs—can become inclusive spaces of cultural knowledge and public storytelling,” Ravenscraft said. 

Her major consists of four concentrations which will support her future goal of creating and executing initiatives within arts organizations: Humanities, Communication, and New Music & Media. The major integrates three key competencies: Humanistic analysis, Cultural historical inquiry, and Design and communication for public audiences. 

“Ultimately, my goal is to serve as an independent consultant for arts organizations, helping them reimagine their missions and practices through a lens of equity, authenticity, and cultural relevance,” Ravenscraft said. “Inclusive Cultural Leadership, as I define and embody it, goes beyond programming policies or tracking demographic statistics. It's about the stories we elevate, the traditions we preserve—or challenge—and the ways we engage our communities in shaping those narratives. Whether I’m working within orchestras, museums, educational institutions, or cultural nonprofits, I strive to lead with empathy, curiosity, and a steadfast commitment to justice.” 

Other students graduating include: