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For senior Violeta Gonzalez Toro, taking Professor Hilary Lithgow’s “Literature of War” class opened unexpected doors. Drawn initially by her love of history and war literature, she was surprised to find herself in a classroom with students who were civilians, veterans, and ROTC cadets. 

“I was very ignorant of military culture in the United States,” Gonzalez Toro shares, “I’d never consciously met a veteran before.” As the class progressed, Gonzalez Toro found herself relating to her classmates in ways she hadn’t anticipated, connecting deeply with the shared human emotions within war literature.

Inspired by her experience, Gonzalez Toro pursued research on how reading might serve as a healing practice for veterans, supported by a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship. Through her research, she interviewed five veterans and shared literary works like All Quiet on the Western Front and The Things They Carried, finding that reading provided “a different way to talk about yourself, one that’s more comfortable because the readings offer a vocabulary and a way to reference something.” 

This process allowed Gonzalez Toro to learn about their military experiences and transitions into civilian life, and she was moved by how veterans resonated with characters like Paul and Norman Bowker, using these narratives to better express their own experiences.

​​As a senior majoring in psychology and global studies with a minor in Chinese, Gonzalez Toro’s research experience allowed her to apply her academic knowledge while deepening her cross-cultural communication skills. She was sure to acknowledge how the blend of humanities and social sciences allowed her to engage empathetically with her interviewees. 

Her findings underscore her commitment to fostering connections, and she now envisions a career where she can work closely with others, potentially through one-on-one therapy or human-centered roles in international relations.

Reflecting on her journey, Gonzalez Toro shares advice for other students: “the most important thing is to really care about your topic, know why your research is important and who it could potentially end up helping.  This caring and knowledge is important because it will make you excited to work.” Her dedication and insight into the healing power of literature are a testament to the possibilities within the ECL department.

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