Irene Ross is a third-year student from Princeton Junction, NJ. She is pursuing the African American Culture and Life track with an interest in the influence of the cosmetic industry and political movements on manifestations of fashion trends within the Black community, and the economic implications for such trends. Irene looks forward to incorporating what she learns from pursuing a Visual Arts certificate with her research in AAS. 

Her favorite class has been “African-American Literature: Harlem Renaissance to Present”, taught by Kinohi Nishikawa, where she greatly enjoyed analyzing books within a timeline of movements, further exploring the implications of their context. Last fall, she participated in a Princeton Atelier course, where she helped to write and produce a musical interpretation of the research compiled by the Princeton in Slavery project. In delving into the perspectives of these key figures and composing songs based on their experiences, Irene developed a more profound appreciation for those who paved the way centuries before. 

Irene is a chair of Wildcats A Cappella and Editor-in-Chief of her new online publication, Black Arts Magazine. She enjoys playing the guitar, making art pieces for her friends’ rooms, and watching Netflix docu-series. 

In the future, she hopes to earn a Ph.D., write books, and teach at the collegiate level. Irene couldn’t be more excited to embark on a meaningful academic adventure that will shape her perspective of the past, present, and future of the world around her.