Tamra Lepro

TAMRA LEPRO
ENGLISH MAJOR
CITY COLLEGE FELLOW

Tamra was born in Idaho and spent many years living in various parts of the United States. After settling down in New York in 2009, she applied to City College to continue her education. Coming in as a transfer student with a Psychology major, she knew that she wanted to explore issues of identity, but found that an historical approach to literature was better suited to her research interests. Pursuing English as a major has allowed her to experience the wonderful opportunities at City College, including the City College Fellowship, English Honors, and the Kaye and Isaacs Scholarships.

Majoring in English has allowed her to explore the various ways culture, politics, and society influenced authors across the 18th and 19th centuries. Her research analyzes attempts by the Scottish biographer James Boswell to shore up his masculinity, which was compromised by his nation of birth and class status. She wants to examine how the national ideology of England in the 18th and 19th centuries influenced the formation of gendered identities for Scottish men as the subjugated became the subjugators. She's currently working on her honors thesis and plans to apply to English PhD programs in the fall.