David Coons
Member at Large, Undergraduate Student Advisory Board
Jewish Studies

David Coons is working on his Bachelors degree in Jewish Studies and with an emphasis in Photography and Digital Arts.

Throughout his CU career, David has been highly involved in Jewish Studies.Through theInternship in Jewish Studiescourse, David completed an internship with thein Denver, CO. He notes that this opportunity allowed him to experience working in the Jewish community and in a non-profit organization, providing him with work experience, programming and organizational skills, and professional development. David states, "The internship program connected me to the community in which I grew up, allowing me to present myself in a professional manner beyond my personal connection to the community." When asked about what drew him to Jewish Studies,David states, "As I grewup in a strong Jewish community and household, I was alwaysinterested in Judaism, its lessons, history, people, and culture. Naturally, when I entered college, I wished to continue this connection which the Program in Jewish Studies was able to provide and nurture. In this program, I am able to take courses that allow me to immerse myself in a vast variety of topics."

David recently returned fromstudying abroadin Glasgow, Scotland for the Spring 2015 semester. During his study abroad, he took Jewish Studies courses in theat the University of Glasgow, as well as Studio Art courses at the. On expanding his Jewish Studies education globally, David said, "It was interesting to see how Jewish Studies was taught in another country at a university that sported a wide array of perspectives froma large population of international students."

David Coonsrecently collaborated with Prof.Sasha Senderovichon a publication forIN GEVEB, a new, hip online journal of Yiddish studies. The publication, entitled "" features an article by Senderovich on the Yiddish novelThe Zelmenyanersand a beautiful family tree designed by Coons.

As a student of our program, David was nominated and selected to receive the prestigiousKatherine J. Lamont Scholarship, an award presented to only 12 students in the College of Arts and Sciences each year.

David’s favorite thing about serving on the Student Advisory Board is, he states, “…the fact we are a strong student group that is privileged to help mold the Program in Jewish Studies for a better future, provide input to improve the program, and create exciting student events that other programs are not capable of doing. It is an amazing way to gain professional development in addition to having a voice in something that we, as Jewish Studies students, care about.”