Gabriella Hsu
Fall 2021 John Jay Fellow
Hometown: Redondo Beach, CA
College: Thomas Aquinas College
Degree: B.A. Liberal Arts
Gabriella Hsu graduated from Thomas Aquinas College in 2019. Though she enjoyed an extensive cross-discipline study of philosophy, theology, mathematics, and natural science, she was especially interested in the parallels between pre-Christian philosophy and the principles of revealed theology. In her senior year, Gabriella analyzed select books of Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, highlighting its emphasis on education founded on an understanding of the student’s human nature and moral character. Such an education, she saw, revealed the care and wisdom of the teacher, and was best able to attain the student’s highest good.
In 2020, Gabriella worked in program development for a not-for-profit organization providing education to students within the Los Angeles area. She wrote, edited, and facilitated workshops and articles on neuropsychology and behavioral health, uniting her philosophical understanding of human nature with a modern account of cognition and behavior. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Gabriella provided support and instruction to students and professionals alike and was moved by the community that arose as a result. Gabriella is passionate about continuing to explore and unite disparate disciplines in order to unite diverse groups of people in a shared sense of humanity and purpose.
After her time at John Jay, Gabriella plans to pursue graduate studies in philosophy and hopes to continue work in not-for-profit spheres and education. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, camping, cooking, wandering around museums, and reading anything she can get her hands on. She looks forward to exploring the Pennsylvanian countryside and engaging in the many intellectual and spiritual benefits that arise from living in a close Christian community.