Sara Mederos originally thought she would study economics at UC Santa Cruz, but after taking a history class her first quarter she was hooked. Prior to attending UC Santa Cruz, Sara spent a year as a Rotary Exchange Student in Sweden. As an undergraduate, she specialized in European history and completed a senior thesis under the direction of Associate Professor Brian Catlos, which was a comparative study on three medieval Iberian queens and the power they were able to demonstrate ”behind the man.” Her time at UC Santa Cruz allowed her to develop the skills necessary to be successful in graduate school.
“Having taken such a wide breadth of classes at UC Santa Cruz allowed me to really begin with a good basis for a much more focused graduate study,” Sara told us. “The high standards of the professors allowed me to feel prepared when I began my Master’s degree.”
Sara is now completing her PhD in medieval history at the University of Lincoln. Sara is researching new evidence of early 15th century attitudes towards women through the St Bridget of Sweden manuscripts held at Lincoln Cathedral. She has uncovered a Dutch Devotional manuscript that uses St Bridget of Sweden as a saintly model of obedience at the time. The research is exposing a new understanding of medieval attitudes as the manuscripts, written entirely by men, detail how women should act to lead a Christian life.
Sara was named a Student Ambassador at the University of Lincoln by the Vice Chancellor. And this past year she had the opportunity to travel to Washington, DC to help promote the Magna Carta 800th Anniversary celebration.
