Zoe Natasha Shadan
UW Honors Graduates
Zoe Natasha Shadan

Communication; Political Science
Designation: Departmental Honors
Honors Grads 2019/2020
Proudest Moment: Among all the small moments like trying new things and taking challenging courses that I am proud of, the memory of reading the first article I got published and printed in The Daily my first-year year was a very exciting and proud moment.
Thesis: The Progression of Presidential Speeches Over the Course of Operation Enduring Freedom
znshadan@gmail.comI moved to Seattle from San Diego with a readiness to try new things, meet new people, and learn and challenge myself as much as I could. Even with the eagerness I had as a young first-year, the people, personal growth, challenges, and experiences these past four years brought me were more than I could have ever expected. My passion for people, social and political justice, and writing grew, and inspired me to double major in both Communication and Political Science. For nearly a year and a half I wrote for The Daily, exploring topics in wellness, politics, sustainability, and entertainment that let me dip my toes into journalism. In my second-year, I acted as a constitutive member and network ambassador for the UW Sustainability Action Network, headed by Lance Bennett, where my team and I worked to build a platform for various student organizations to collaborate and build a movement towards social, political, economic, and environmental sustainability. Then came my third year where I fulfilled a dream I dreamt when I was just a kid, and that was to live in Paris, France. My exchange brought me to studying at The Paris Institute of Political Studies, where I took courses in strategies and ethics of war, rhetoric in the French political system, and EU integration, amongst many other topics. I was able to ameliorate my French and German language skills, travel across Western and Eastern Europe both with others and independently, and meet people from all different cultural and academic backgrounds. The year reaffirmed my passion for diversity, culture, languages, and conversation rooted in listening and sharing experiences and perspectives. This affirmation encouraged me to pursue a thesis under the Department of Communication during my fourth year, where my ultimate research topic aimed to critically analyze the extent to which American exceptionalism exists and plays a role in political relations. The result was focused on comparing presidential speeches throughout Operation Enduring Freedom, speaking more narrowly to the differences between presidential communication, and suggested further explorations in assessing the purpose of political partisanship. In this past year, I also had the pleasure of working at the Odegaard Writing and Research Center, working with UW students, faculty, and staff in familiarizing themselves with and strengthening their writing processes.
While my plans after graduation are yet to be determined, I am hoping to find a position in the non-profit sector where I can apply what I have learned these past four years, and will continue to learn as I transition from student to professional, to change-making and cause-oriented work.