Tierney Hall

2019 Newman Family Scholarship Recipient

Tierney Hall is completing her second year at UW–Madison. She grew up in a Catholic family of four in the small town of Jefferson, Wisconsin. Her curiosity regarding the global community has been lifelong but was tangibly sparked in high school classes such as Human Geography and European History as well as through several trips to Guatemala. Therefore, Hall went into UW–Madison eager to major in International Studies. It wasn’t long before additional interests caught her eye as well, and she is now majoring in IS as well as Political Science, with an emphasis on the Middle East, Global Health, and Development Economics.

Hall originally decided to take Arabic language classes to obtain the skill set for the field of national security. However, as she became more interested in the culture she also became more aware of the many misconceptions present surrounding the region. She has since devoted her time on campus – as well as her career aspirations – to increasing cultural awareness as well as intercultural dialogue.

During Hall’s freshman year, she joined the Madison Refugee Resettlement Research team, which had a goal of proposing improved resettlement methods to state legislature. During her sophomore year, she gained a position in Badger Catholic as student leader of Alpha Omega, an outreach event to campus. Hall has since also become a Middle Eastern Student Ambassador through a program in the Middle Eastern Studies Program. They present to various audiences (including elementary through high schools and adults) on the culture and history of the Middle East. Additionally, Hall is currently working to co-found a new Arabic Culture and Language Club which will stand as a resource to those studying the Middle East as well as those who have no background knowledge. Students will have the opportunity to learn more about everything from Arabic dances to cooking to current affairs.

With this background, Hall hopes to pursue a career focusing on the ongoing refugee crisis in the Middle East. Although public health is her main focus, Hall plans to continue in advocating for greater cultural understanding throughout her life and career.