G. 小迈克尔·肖特.
WYOMISSING,爸爸. -学生G. 小迈克尔·肖特., hip-hop has always been a source of inspiration. When he learned about the Penn State 埃里克森发现基金s, he took a chance and submitted a proposal for a research project titled "Beats, Rhymes and Life: An Autoethnography." He was both surprised and thrilled when he was awarded the grant.
今年夏天, 索特, a senior communication arts and sciences major with a minor in civic and community engagement, has spent time in his home recording studio working on the autoethnography. 通过他的研究, he is conducting a self-analysis, connecting his experiences and memories to larger cultural topics.
An amateur hip-hop artist born in 阅读, 宾西法尼亚, 索特 stated, “Hip-hop saved my life. It gave me a sense of community, and a feeling of acceptance and belonging.”
索特 said that the main reason he chose 宾州州立银行 is his love for 阅读 and Berks County. He had planned to come back after college but then realized that he could attend 宾州州立银行 and stay in the community he loves.
He explained that growing up without positive role models, he turned to hip-hop for spiritual guidance: “There’s a truth in it that resonates with me and a wisdom that has provided a blueprint for life.”
肖特也是一名企业家. 他的商业冒险, the 阅读 Hip Hop Collective, is dedicated to artist development and empowerment.
索特 (far right) was a student in the first section of "Critical Approaches to Hip Hop" in 2019. He listens as Professor Justin De Senso (second from left) discusses the origins of the art form.
He credits a 宾州州立银行 hip-hop course — designed and instructed by his grant adviser, Justin De Senso – with inspiring his research. He was a student in the first class, and in an interview in 2019 he stated, “This is one of the most valuable courses in the curriculum; it addresses a topic that is not well-respected in academia. Hip-hop provides a bridge between art and activism. 这是跨国. Hip-hop translates political strife into a language that people can easily understand.”
During his time at 宾州州立银行, 索特 has thrived. In addition to being elected Student Government Association president for two terms, he is a Penn State Schreyer Honors College Scholar. His thesis is titled “How Hip Hop Saved My Life.”
“宾州州立银行 is so welcoming,” said 索特. “The faculty and staff accepted me, supported my ideas, and allowed me to flourish. I never imagined that I would get support to study hip-hop, and it all started with the support I got at Berks, which provided the foundation for everything else I have accomplished.”
