In her senior thesis, Emma Treadway ’22, a classics concentrator from Emelia, Ohio, explored ways that the basic tenets of Stoicism — a school of philosophy that dates from 300 BCE — can help address problems in K-12 public education.
She examines how an emphasis on social and emotional learning, as opposed to purely academic learning, “when combined with a Stoic twist,” can teach students to engage empathetically with the world and address in the classroom inequalities that disproportionately harm children of color, girls and children with disabilities.
Treadway’s senior thesis adviser Dan-el Padilla Peralta, an associate professor of classics and a 2006 Princeton graduate, noted the ease with which Treadway has bridged the worlds of classics and education policy. “At a time when the university ramps up its investments in innovation, Emma’s work outstandingly exemplifies how the study of the ancient world can be an innovative force in the service of our nation and of humanity,” he said, in a story featured on the University homepage.
At Princeton, Treadway focused on education policy and studied Latin, ancient Greek, Sanskrit, and Akkadian. She served as a Humanities Mentor in the Program in Humanistic Studies, where she offered advice to undergraduates about course selection, international experiences, and extracurriculars.
