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Since she was eight years old, Alyssa Wisoff ’07 (New York, NY) has been spending her summers at Camp Blue Ridge in Pennsylvania’s Wayne County, first as a camper and now as a counselor.
This year, Wisoff is parlaying her experience as a camper and counselor into an interdisciplinary honors thesis in which she is examining the cultural values that come out of the sleep-away camp culture.
“I am looking into the effect these values have on sleep-away camp alumni and their lives,” she says.
She believes that her involvement with the camp has had a positive impact on her social development, helping her develop good self-esteem, a sense of responsibility, and an ability to get along well with others.
“Alyssa’s topic is interesting in part because she is offering an in-depth analysis of a relatively common experience,” says Rebecca Kissane, assistant professor of anthropology & sociology and Wisoff’s thesis advisor. “Her research will allow us to expand our thinking on these types of camps, how people experience them, and what these camps offer campers. As Alyssa is a double major in American studies and anthropology and sociology, she can address her research topic from multiple perspectives and offer a unique examination into sleep-away camp culture.”
Wisoff is studying published articles about the advantages and disadvantages of camp culture on campers, and plans to conduct interviews with alumni of camps throughout the United States.
“This is a wonderful topic for Alyssa to investigate, as she is very passionate about it. After attending sleep-away camp for a number of years, she then became interested in them on an academic level. Her previous camp experience gives her great access to the camp community and will allow her to collect data that would not be possible for others,” Kissane says.
Wisoff believes Lafayette’s dedication to undergraduate research and a flexible curriculum have been key to her success.
“My academic time at Lafayette has been an experience I do not think I would be able to have at other schools,” she says. “Lafayette has been really helpful in allowing me complete my two majors while still having options as to the classes I am taking. The American studies major has been extremely interesting and I believe that the interdisciplinary major has allowed me to specialize my studies to topics that really interest me.”
Following her graduation in the spring, Wisoff is considering pursuing a master’s degree in elementary school guidance counseling.
“Lafayette provides an environment where undergraduate research is not only supported but actively encouraged,” Kissane says. “Through her thesis research, Alyssa is learning valuable skills that will aid her in whatever career she decides to pursue. She will learn how to digest, synthesize and think critically about empirical literature, how to conduct interviews, and how to analyze data. Furthermore, through her research, Alyssa is sharpening her writing, observation, and communication skills — these are skills which will no doubt be useful in graduate school and in her future career.”
Wisoff is a member of the Delta Delta Delta sorority and is the promotions co-chair for Family Weekend. She was a member of the club tennis team and the LAF comedy committee. She has also volunteered with the Boys & Girls Club.