Dual undergraduate social science major merges passion and professional interests while carving path for law school
What if you didn’t have to choose between a professional career and personal passion?
Genevieve Morea, a dual philosophy and political science major and 糖心Vlog fall 2025 Honors College graduate, says that passion and profession go hand in hand.
Morea had always dreamed of pursuing a career in the legal field while living in Richmond Hill, Georgia, making political science an intuitive decision when she came to Georgia Southern in August 2021.
“I was specifically very interested in policy and advocacy, so I wanted to have a degree that really helped me understand not just the law, but also how it impacts communities and how I could help communities,” Morea said.
However, her decision to pursue a dual major and add philosophy to her educational toolbelt came later, as a “happy surprise.”
“I felt like I needed something to complement political science 鈥� I felt like there was something I was missing. After I took Intro to Philosophy, I was like, ‘OK, this is it,” she said.
Her passion for philosophy helped her reach soaring new heights, earning Morea the Philosophy and Religious Studies Department’s Best Paper Award for “Condemned to Break the Law: The Legality and Fairness of Anti-Camping Laws in Response to the Homelessness Crisis,” which was also published in Stance: An International Undergraduate Philosophy Journal in April 2025.
During her undergraduate studies, she also defended her Honors thesis, 鈥淭he Influence of Grounds of Persecution in Asylum Cases on the U.S. Courts of Appeals,鈥� analyzing over 100 asylum cases heard by the Court of Appeals to prepare for the biannual Georgia Southern Honors Symposium.
“I saw the thesis as an opportunity to do something that maybe I wouldn’t have been able to do in my classes,鈥� she explained. 鈥淚 worked with Dr. Maureen Stobb, as her research assistant on a refugee project which gave me experience in the field of legal research and inspired me to form my own thesis for the symposium.鈥�
During her undergraduate studies, Morea served in the University’s Model United Nations program, mentoring and educating fellow delegates while also competing in the Georgia Southern Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl, where she helped lead her team to Nationals.
Morea plans to attend law school after graduation and has started her search for prospective schools. She hopes to use her background in political science and philosophy to provide a holistic approach while navigating the nuances of public policy and law. Although she looks forward to opening the next chapter in her story, Morea said that her time at Georgia Southern has been invaluable and cherishes the skills and memories she acquired as an undergraduate student.
“I’m excited to learn more,” she said. “I’ve had such an amazing experience at Georgia Southern that it really helped me understand what my goals are, and I’m excited to get more exposure to my field and enhance the skills I’ve gained through being at Georgia Southern.”