“When I first began my honors thesis, I had an idea I was excited about, but I didn’t yet know how to turn it into meaningful research. My advisor, Dr. Karen Schloss, completely transformed that uncertainty into one of the most intellectually rewarding experiences of my undergraduate career. From the very beginning, she adapted her mentorship to my learning style and helped me grow from there. What I appreciate the most about her mentorship style is her remarkable ability to ask questions – an ability that pushes you to think critically without ever feeling overwhelmed. Whether I was refining my research design, troubleshooting challenges, or reframing my hypotheses, her guidance was always thoughtful, encouraging, and attentive to the tiniest of details. What sets her apart is not just her expertise but also her commitment to mentorship. She created an environment where I felt supported enough to explore different methods and independent enough to develop my own voice as a researcher. Her feedback was always detailed, consistently enabling me to produce work that was clearer, stronger, and more rigorous than I thought I was capable of. Beyond the thesis itself, her mentorship has had a lasting impact on how I approach my future goals. She has helped shape my confidence as a researcher and my desire to continue pursuing research beyond undergraduate study. I am incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to pursue my graduate studies as a PhD student under Dr. Schloss’s mentorship, and I cannot think of a more deserving candidate for this recognition of excellence in advising.”