Top Eastern Student Sabreena Croteau of North Kingstown Named Barnard Scholar

2016 Apr 7

Two of Eastern Connecticut State University's top students were named Barnard Scholars on April 6 at the Aqua Turf in Southington, CT. Among them was Sabreena Croteau, Political Science and History double major from North Kingstown.

The annual Henry Barnard Distinguished Student Awards recognize 12 outstanding undergraduates from Connecticut's four state universities (Central, Eastern, Southern and Western). To be considered for an award, a student must have at least a 3.75 GPA, a record of community service and be nominated by their respective university president.

Croteau's Eastern experience is rooted in strong relationships with professors and highlighted by a slew of seized opportunities. Her numerous research projects and travels abroad have led her to realizing her aspirations for a career in international relations.

Croteau started off as a sociology major, but two courses in her freshman year convinced her to switch to a double major in political science and history. "These courses sparked my passion for the study of international relations and politics."

The conflicts of the Middle East have been among Croteau's most prevalent research topics. "In high school, taking American-focused history classes, the Middle East wasn't discussed much," she said. "Yet their conflicts matter on a global scale." Because of the region's competing ideologies and its petroleum resources, Croteau says, "I find it interesting that even their little disagreements suck in world powers."

Not only did Croteau base her Honors Thesis ("Influence and Interference: U.S. Foreign Policy toward Saudi Arabia 1956-1971") on the region, she also traveled to Israel, Jordan and the West Bank in a global field course (GFC).

"I loved this experience because it provide for a firsthand understanding of a conflict that I had already studied in depth," she said. "I was able to see the conflict as it immediately influenced the mentality of the average person, and how some aspects of the conflict have actually blended into the cultural identity of the people in that region."

Croteau capitalized on the GFC while studying abroad in Paris, France. She is furthering her French language skills at Eastern. "Learning a second language is important to me because it will be an advantage as I pursue a career representing the United States in international relations," she said.

In the summer of 2015, Croteau immersed herself in another developing country, this time for humanitarian reasons. In rural Honduras, she volunteered at a local school and orphanage. "I saw firsthand the effects of being trapped in poverty and how difficult it was for these individuals to improve their situation." She was shocked to find that children at the orphanage were often better off than those with parents. "In the orphanage they're forced to get a high school diploma," she said, "but in the local school kids dropped out after sixth grade to help their parents at the farm."

Despite the dangers associated with the poverty of developing countries, Croteau says of traveling, "When you go out of your comfort zone and go somewhere that counters your worldview, your mind opens and you grow as a person. It's a really valuable experience."

Well-traveled and well-researched, Croteau is also a prolific presenter, attending some of the country's most prestigious undergraduate conferences. This April in Washington D.C. she will present her independent study, "Democratic Elections in the American States: A Case for Reform," at Posters on the Hill. Also in April she'll present her Honors Thesis in North Carolina at the National Conference for Undergraduate Research.

Croteau aspires to attend graduate school to study international relations and comparative politics in pursuit of a career in the U.S. Foreign Service. "While promoting American values and policies, I will be forging relationships with foreign audiences to engage in different cultures and form connections, thus allowing me to serve both my country and the community abroad."