About Inbar
Inbar Michael graduated with a Bachelor’s in History and a minor in Humanities and Law from UC Irvine in 2021. In her sophomore and junior years, she participated in two Johns Hopkins Macksey Symposiums (2020 and 2021) and the UCI Undergraduate History Conference in 2021 to present research on the impact of American Jewish solidarity to help Soviet Jewry leave the Soviet Union and the history of US imperialism in the Mexican oil industry of the early 1900s. The Johns Hopkins Macksey Journal published both works. Inbar also participated in the Pre-Law Society her sophomore and junior years, serving as the secretary intern her sophomore year and subsequently the secretary her junior year. She was very involved in the Jewish community at UCI, participating in Chabad at UCI for all three years, and served as the president her junior year. Inbar worked as the Diversity and Wellness Chair her junior year to promote inclusivity in the Arroyo Vista housing community, winning the National Residence Hall Honorary of the Month Award for her work in creating spaces for people to participate and share their experiences through engaging conversations. She also worked with the UCI Law Saturday Academy of Law for two quarters her junior year, teaching primarily first generation 9th grade students to write and debate persuasively, and led discussions surrounding the First Amendment. Currently, Inbar is serving with AmeriCorps in City Year San Jose, where she works at a local high school to provide additional support in 9th grade English classes, and as a tutor after school in English and Math. She focuses on not only addressing the academic needs of students, but also their social and emotional wellness. She is applying to pursue a double Master’s in History and Library and Information Science, with the hopes of becoming an academic librarian at a public research university.
Q&A
1) If we ask one of your friends to describe you, what would they say?
My friends would describe me as an empathetic, analytical, and open-minded person! I am always looking for opportunities to work on my self-growth and understanding of the world and people’s experiences.
2) What life events or personal mentorships, if any, directed you to the field of study you have chosen for your future endeavors?
One of my professors actually suggested that I should take a look more at librarianship, since I expressed interest in becoming a professor, but wasn’t set on pursuing a PhD in History. During this past summer I realized that becoming a librarian would allow me to continue to engage with scholarship, but also give me time to serve in the local community and collect local narratives. Compiling the local histories of the people where I live has been something that I have always been interested in doing, as I am fascinated by the stories that people have to share about their lives. I would also want to focus on recording stories from marginalized community members, so as to bring their experiences to the forefront of academia and encourage further analyzing historical events from diverse lenses.
3) Did you ever seek information and advice from the SOP advising team? If so, what type of advice were you seeking and what was your experience with them?
I received advice primarily from my SOP advisor, Brendan Park, while I was writing my essays for the Fulbright Scholarship. I sought advice that specifically pertained to how I could improve my essays; one piece of advice that stuck with me that Brendan told me was when writing about my accomplishments, to not only list them, but to explain how they have impacted me and how I will utilize what I have learned in future endeavors. Making the connections between my experiences and what I hope to contribute to in the future has helped me with writing my graduate applications this year. Brendan was always very kind and responsive whenever we communicated, and this made me feel less anxious about the process of applying to the Fulbright Scholarship.
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