Gabriella Tanguay

Gabriella Tanguay

Class Year

’25

Hometown

Lockport , Illinois

Major(s)

Social Work

Minor(s)

Criminal Justice

With the help of The Aspire Center and her student success advisor, Gabriella Tanguay ’25 was able to find the perfect area of study for her — majoring in social work with a minor in criminal justice. She hopes to further her education with either a master’s degree in social work and work with trauma patients, or by attending law school to give the criminal justice system a social work lens.

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“Students should consider social work because it is an eye-opening major that completely changes how people view the world. It is a major that aims at being the groundwork for helping people.”

Gabriella Tanguay, ’25

Why Carthage?

“I chose Carthage because I wanted to go to a smaller college where the class sizes were small enough to create personal relationships with professors. I also wanted a school that wasn’t too far from home, and Carthage was the perfect location.”

Faculty mentors

“As a freshman, I had no idea what I wanted to major in. I ended up changing my major three times during my freshman year. However, with the help of the Carthage faculty, my career specialist in The Aspire Center, and my student success advisor, I was able to find where I belonged and what I truly loved. I went to multiple meetings with my advisors, and each one made me feel that I belonged at Carthage and that I didn’t have to worry about choosing a life path right away.”

Favorite class

“My favorite class at Carthage has been Decoding Disney with Professor Dani Jarvis. I loved learning about the ways people are socialized and how it starts with kids’ movies that create preconceived notions in our minds about the world around us. It was the most interesting and engaging class I have ever taken, and I would definitely take that class again if I could, especially because there is so much content. Prof. Jarvis is also an amazing teacher.”

Toughest class

“My toughest class at Carthage has been Statistics, mainly because I am not a math person. But, my professor has been extremely helpful through my struggles.”

Campus involvement

“I created the Mental Health Awareness Club during my freshman year. I am now the president of it. We have monthly meetings to de-stress and plan events to donate to mental health organizations in the area.”

Golden opportunities

“I went to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands for a J-Term trip. I went with my best friends and studied biology. It was the best way to study the plants and animals around me. It was the greatest experience, and I want to take another J-Term trip.”

Internships or campus employment

“I had an internship over the summer in which I worked with children with disabilities at a day camp. I learned so much and had the most amazing experiences.”

Favorite spot on campus

“My favorite on-campus spot is Starbucks. I love hanging out with friends there, getting coffee, and doing homework there.”