In this Q&A, we speak with Daisy Fernandez, a fourth-year majoring in English and International Studies, who was selected as a 2025 recipient of the Claremont Conference Best Papers & Presentations distinction.
Daisy Fernandez at the 22nd Claremont Conference, April 3-4, 2025.
Name: Daisy Fernandez
Degree: B.A. in English and International Studies
Expected to graduate in: Spring 2025
Hometown: Virginia Beach, Virginia
What was the topic of your paper/presentation for the Claremont Conference?
My paper was entitled “Breakdowns and Breakups? Brexit’s Implications for Irish Unification.” I examined the history of Northern Ireland and reunification movements, focusing on public opinion on reunification amongst the Northern Irish population during Brexit negotiations.
What interests you most about this topic?
I am fascinated by ethnic politics and how constituents react to historical divisions. It started when my mother took me to Northern Ireland around two years ago. My grandmother was born and raised in Belfast, and she continued to take my mother and aunt back home every few years. As we drove across the city, I was moved by the political murals in the residential neighborhoods of Belfast. They were a demonstration of how raw the memories of the Troubles remain, as well as how this conflict permeated the lives of ordinary people, Catholic and Protestant.
What was your reaction to receiving the best papers & presentations distinction?
I was surprised to have been picked amongst a group of such outstanding scholars. The first person I called when I found out was my grandmother. I had included her story in my presentation, along with pictures of her from today and on her wedding day. She was quite happy to learn she was cited as an academic source in a soon-to-be published paper!
How will this distinction help your goals and career path?
As I finish my undergraduate studies, I hope to use this distinction in my applications for internships within the legal field and/or international relations. I have always dreamed of working in international law. But presently, I hope to use my experience to help in my current role as a public speaking coach for middle school and college students. As I was writing my paper, I was worried about including such a personal anecdote about my family in an academic paper. Yet, my audience and peers remarked that it was their favorite part of the presentation. Personal connection and storytelling are powerful tools to get a point across. I will remember this experience as I continue to work in coaching.
This distinction will allow you to travel to the Netherlands this summer to take a Europe course; what are you hoping to study during your time there?
I’ll be taking a course on the external dimension of European Union (EU) law. I’m excited to learn from a diverse panel of experts on the role of the EU on the global stage, and I hope to gain a deeper understanding of Europe from a new perspective. I would like to study how EU law interacts with different cultural contexts and how it may evolve because of these interactions. I’ll also be visiting Brussels before my class, the de-facto capital of the European Union.
Anything else you’d like readers to know?
I applied to this conference as a part of Dr. Sabine Lang’s class, JSIS A 302: The Politics and Cultures of Europe, and I would 100% recommend both the class and the conference to all University of Washington students. I bonded with my fellow UW conference representatives, and I met so many cool people from across the country who were also interested in the European Union