SHU students use interactive exhibits to highlight the lives and careers of women from Dingle, Ireland
For some, finals are a time for studying and preparing for stressful exams. However, students in Sacred Heart University’s introduction to women’s, gender and sexuality studies (WGSS) class were asked to go in a different direction for their finals.
Instead of a traditional exam, students completed a team project. Six groups each profiled an empowering woman from Dingle, Ireland, home to the University’s SHU Dingle campus. Projects covered included Peig Sayers (author), Pauline Scanlon (singer), Nuala Ni Dhomhnaill (poet), Nuala Moore (swimmer), Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh (singer) and Josie Knight (cyclist).
Students created expertly designed posters covering their subject’s upbringing, education and career as well as their connection to the University’s mission in the Catholic intellectual tradition. The groups also focused on intersectionality, giving detailed insight on how aspects of the women’s identities lead to discrimination or in some cases privilege.
The posters were displayed at a unique exhibition, where students, staff and faculty from the University gathered to celebrate the hard work that had been done. Central to the exhibition was the requirement that each poster have at least two QR codes, allowing attendees to interact with the projects and gain external knowledge on each poster’s subject.
Junior Meriel Assi said she learned a great deal from the assignment. “What was most rewarding to me was seeing what these women accomplished, from both a professional and personal standpoint,” Assi said. “It was an inspiration to learn about the work they’ve done.”
Classmate Kailyn St. Jean ’26 shared Assi’s feelings about the final project. “Learning about these women’s lives from their childhood all the way to the present day was very interesting,” she said. “It was valuable to see their professional interests take shape at a young age.”
Professor Kelly Marino, who created the assignment, was thoroughly impressed by the professionalism and the work ethic her students displayed. “I’ve always been attracted to including interactive QR codes in projects, but I was timid because of their high-tech nature,” she said. “The students exceeded my expectations on that front, and the in-depth look into the Catholic intellectual tradition and themes from WGSS they provided was exceptional and reflected the University’s mission.”
