Lauren Peckham ’25 is a student getting a double-degree in Psychology and Criminal Justice & Criminology. She is also one of our Honors Ambassadors. Learn how Lauren has gained a better understanding of intersectionality because of our Honors Colloquium, and how Honors classes have prepared Lauren for her future.

Tell us a little about yourself: Where are you from? What drew you to URI? Are you a first generation college student?

I am from East Haddam, Connecticut, but I am currently living in Middletown Connecticut with my mom. I was drawn to URI because I grew up in a small school that allowed me to become really involved in my community. I loved being in clubs, volunteering, and doing whatever I could to help (especially during the COVID-19 pandemic). I knew that URI had a smaller student body than other schools, and is also close enough to home so I can go back and forth easily. My mom is sick and I take care of her on the weekends, so URI gave me the opportunity to attend a university instead of community college because it was still close to home. I am not a first generation college student.

How have your Honors classes helped you integrate and “springboard” into the university and beyond? Please describe any impact it had on your experience so far at URI.

Honors classes, due to the smaller class size, helped me accommodate to the college-experience because it made me feel a lot more comfortable talking in front of other students and talking to professors. It also helped me make more friends because of the smaller class size, and made my classes much more engaging and fun to take.

How has your Honors education helped you to think differently about topics within or outside of your major or other area of study? Has it introduced you to new concepts or ways of thinking? Has it changed the way you thought about an important issue? 

Honors courses have helped me think differently about topics outside of my major, such as food sustainability and food sources, through classes like the Honors Colloquium. It has really helped me take on different or new perspectives on topics that I did not know much about previously, which has been extremely beneficial for my education and is something I greatly appreciate because I am now much more aware of global situations.

As you completed your Honors course(s), what are ways that you feel it helped prepare you for life after URI?

I think the Honors courses have prepared me for life after URI because it is so much more communication/student-interaction based, and has really allowed me to flourish in creating interesting discussions and having conversations about meaningful topics.

What are your short and long term plans post graduation?

I am a junior and am beginning to start studying for the LSAT. Post graduation I will be applying to law school in hopes to become a criminal lawyer or family and divorce lawyer.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our audience?

I am currently working on my Honors Project, which is a true crime podcast that looks at different criminal cases through the lens of various criminological theories. The goal of the project is to gain a higher understanding of high criminological theories may be applied practically to criminal cases that have actually happened! My podcast also aims to educate people on how individuals can be affected by themselves, others, and their surroundings, and how this may influence their likelihood to commit crimes. The podcast is currently Spotify exclusive but I definitely recommend giving it a listen and answering the polls at the end of the episodes: https://open.spotify.com/show/6AxO8ZWPSsrl7CgIcAx9gU! If there are any CCJ majors or professors interested in being a guest star on an episode or have suggestions for future cases or theories to cover, please contact me! My email is lauren_peckham@uri.edu