Sheila Panyam
UW Honors Graduates
Sheila Panyam

Philosophy
Classical studies
Designation: College Honors
Honors Grads 2019/2020
Proudest Moment: One of my proudest moments was taking a graduate-level philosophy class and emerging from it having had a meaningful and successful experience. Not only did I get to learn about climate change and ethics, but I also got to do so with people actually researching the topic professionally.
I am a student from Portland, Oregon who loves to spend her free time reading, writing, and teaching. I competed on the UW's mock trial team for all three years of undergrad, where I had the wonderful opportunity to travel to cities all over the country (including visiting NYC for the first time!). Over the second and third summers of my undergrad, I did policy research at Portland City Hall, where I had the eye-opening experience of being on the other side of public protests. For the last two years, I've also worked at the Odegaard Writing and Research Center, where I've had the pleasure of helping others with developing written work. One of my biggest academic passions is examining women in antiquity who've been consistently overwritten or caricatured in the modern-day in order to clear their names. In fact, clearing names and spreading awareness has become an interest of mine in creative writing. I am working on two novels now, one about identity in Ancient Rome and the other, a retelling of a Hindu myth. I will be attending law school in 2021. I am grateful to the communities that have supported me at the UW, and all the friends, peers, and professors who have made my experience so fulfilling.