Gillian Krafft '12

Gillian, her husband and Paddington, all W&L graduates
 Gillian, her husband and Paddington, all W&L graduates

What are you up to now?

I graduated in 2012 with a BA in Sociology with a minor in WGS! After W&L, I went straight to NYC and started at Columbia University's School of Social Work. I have my MS in Social Work with an emphasis on Advanced Clinical Practice.

From there, I have moved around a bit as a clinical psychotherapist. I first moved to Albuquerque where I was a therapist at an eating disorder treatment facility. There, I was able to hone my clinical abilities and specialize in the treatment of eating disorder, anxiety, and OCD.

In 2014, while at alumni weekend in Lexington, I met my wonderful (now) husband. In 2015, I relocated with my dog (who is also a W&L alum! [I got Paddington while I was a junior!]) to Morgantown WV. I am currently in private practice working with adolescents and young adults.

Why did you decide to minor in WGS?

I decided to minor in WGS...well, I kind of decided on a whim and fairly late in my time at W&L. It was the fall semester of my junior year and I was taking Philosophy of Sex with Professor Melina Bell at the time. I popped into her office to talk about something... and one thing led to another and I decided to look into WGS. I was already in the midst of my sociology major and was going lots of psychology classes to prepare me for my masters, so it wasn't hard to make the minor fit into my curriculum. I have always considered myself a feminist (...I was one of the lone Dems at W&L, I grew up with two attorneys for parents who had always instilled fairly liberal values), so I had already taken several classes I needed for the minor due to my interest in the topic.

Do you find that your preparation in WGS helped you do what you are doing now?

I'm not sure if WGS helped me for exactly what I do today for a career, but I do think it makes me an overall better person. I feel extremely well educated and well versed in my feelings about the issues, as backed by my reading of theory and my understanding of the history of controversial issues.

Any advice for current students?

Don't let the culture of W&L sway you away from what you're passionate about. It can be hard to talk about the tough issues. Also-- enjoy it. Learn all you can. You'll be better for it in the long run!