Stephon Hill

Commitment to Academics and Community Engagement

Diverse Opportunities and Connections:

Stephon Hill’s ’24 journey as a Psychology major at Purchase began with their awareness of the diverse cohorts of students that make the community unique. They also saw Purchase as an opportunity to heighten their knowledge of different cultures and many connections by networking with community members.

Apart from the diverse community and networking capabilities at Purchase, Stephon was drawn in by the beauty of the campus grounds and the rich variety of resources readily available to students.

Community Engagement:

One of Stephon’s favorite groups at Purchase is the Cheer Team, as they were a member of their high school cheerleading team. This is a sport that they enjoy watching as they appreciate the discipline and commitment that the craft requires.

Separately from their involvement with the Cheer Team, Stephon enjoys keeping active in a variety of other ways. While discussing some of their favorites, they highlighted their positive experience with a Zumba class on campus.

“Some of my most notable memories came in the form of the Zumba class I took one semester, which gave me not only the goal to become healthier but also provided me with a beautiful mentor.”

Faculty Inspired:

Stephon expressed that multiple faculty members have directly impacted and helped to shape their academic and personal growth. In particular, Lauren Harburger was noted as an  influential mentor during their classroom development. 

“There has been too many to count that have positively impacted me, but Professor Lauren Harburger has really helped me make it through the past few semesters as she reminds me I am capable of doing anything I put my mind to.”

The Senior Project:

As a rising Senior, Stephon plans on focusing their topic for the Senior Project on the relationship and correlations between music and mood-based personality disorders.

“This {topic choice} came about due to my love for music and how it has effects on the current moods of individuals that have difficulty regulating their emotions.”

Hopes and Plans for the Future:

Stephon plans to pursue a career in Psychology and intends to leave their mark by helping one person at a time. Their message to future students is to be confident in their own abilities and to not underestimate the possibility for achievement by having the ‘Purchase family’ in their corner for support.

“I strive to be a reliable and trustworthy person. So with that, I plan to leave my mark… in the event a guest is needed for seminars or conferences so I can be brought back. This leads me to my second piece of advice which is to use the resources {available}- that includes the professors!”

*Quotes edited for grammar and clarity.