Exploring Undergraduate Research with Alumna Chloe Angyal '09
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In the bustling city of New York, Chloe Angyal, the Deputy Opinion Editor at HuffPost, embarked on a transformative journey during her undergraduate years at Princeton University. This journey, documented in a series of articles on HuffPost or her personal website, is part of our blog Archives: Senior Thesis Planning.
Angyal's senior thesis focused on a topic that was both personal and significant: young women working on Wall Street trading floors and how the experience of being a minority affected their behaviour at work. This topic was inspired by her first Sociology class, Medical Sociology with Betsy Armstrong, which significantly influenced her decision to major in the subject.
The 2000s were a time when young women working in finance faced unique challenges. Angyal's thesis delved into themes such as gender stereotypes and bias, career advancement challenges, performance under pressure, work-life balance, and networking challenges. These experiences were influenced by broader societal and cultural factors, including stereotypes about women's roles in finance and the lack of representation in leadership positions.
Despite these challenges, Angyal persevered, learning valuable lessons along the way. Writing a senior thesis convinced her that writing a doctoral dissertation wouldn't be too hard. It also helped her learn to work for long stretches without any guidance, feedback or praise and trust her instincts a little more. Moreover, she found it deeply satisfying to be able to add some of her own knowledge to the education she had spent absorbing.
One of the most challenging aspects of doing independent work at Princeton was determining the appropriate scope of inquiry for a 9-month project. Angyal found it helpful to break down her research into manageable chunks and to seek advice from her thesis advisor, who ended up being her second reader.
Angyal's thesis advisor's guidance was invaluable, but she found a way to make her Sociology degree practical and useful after graduation. She did not get accepted into Woody Woo, but her thesis helped her contribute something to the store of human knowledge that wasn't there before, even if it's a tiny contribution.
Today, Angyal is a successful journalist, and her thesis experience continues to influence her work. She offers a tip for students planning their senior theses: find a thesis advisor before your senior year. This will ensure you have the guidance and support you need to tackle this significant project.
For more insights and stories, check out the video titled "Senior Thesis Spotlight: Standing on the Shoulders of Giants" in our Senior Thesis section.
[1] For more on the role of women in Forex, see [source].
Engaging in independent work during her senior thesis at Princeton University served as a catalyst for Chloe Angyal's personal growth and education-and-self-development. The experience of trusting her instincts, learning to work for extended periods without constant feedback, and contributing to the education-and-self-development of others via her thesis remains a crucial learning lesson in her life, encouraging her in her current role as a successful journalist.
