ASU graduate uses religious studies degree to understand world politics


April 24, 2023

Editor's note: This story is part of a series of profiles of notable spring 2023 graduates.

Madeleine Steppel enrolled at Arizona State University, joined Barrett, The Honors College and spent most of her freshman year online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Madeleine Steppel photographed in a multi-colored button down shirt, wearing dark glasses. Madeleine Steppel Download Full Image

In fact, one reason why she chose to attend ASU was because of the ASU Online infrastructure, though she was eventually able to move on-campus.

During her first year, she quickly realized her interest in religion and decided to explore her interest by changing her major to religious studies with a concentration in religion, politics and global affairs. Not long after, she learned of the certificate program in political history and leadership and decided it would fit well with her interests and future career goals. 

Steppel earned many awards including the New American University Provost’s award, Steve and Margaret Forster Memorial scholarship, Northwest Federal Credit Union Financial Awareness Network scholarship, Palo Verde Republican Women’s Club scholarship and the Program for Political History and Leadership scholarship.

She was also the president of Olami at ASU, the Jewish heritage chair for Alpha Epsilon Phi and a board member for College Republicans at ASU.

We caught up with her to talk about her time at ASU as she is graduating this spring.

Question: What was your “aha” moment when you realized you wanted to study the field you majored in?

Answer: When everything became related to how religions interact in the world, religious studies became the place to be. I have wanted to become a defense attorney specializing in First Amendment law the entire time I have been in college, but it is only through my time in religious studies that I have realized I actually want to focus more specifically on religious freedom law.

Q: What’s something you learned while at ASU — in the classroom or otherwise — that surprised you or changed your perspective?

A: I have learned so much while at ASU, mostly from experiences interacting with my fellow students and professors. Probably the most important thing I learned, though, is that there is no perfect definition of religion, it comes down to personal experience for each individual. No two people have the same exact background, and thus each person comes to the table with their own perspectives that are informed by this belief or lack thereof. Therefore, being able to explain one's thoughts and actions, as well as acting in accordance with one's morality, is a primary objective of life in society.

Q: Why did you choose ASU?

A: I chose ASU for a variety of reasons. Barrett is the best public honors college in the country, so that was a very strong pull. In my college search, I visited about 30 colleges. ASU is one of the few universities I visited that consistently ranks "green" on the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression's free speech rating system, and as someone who loves being involved in politics, this was important to me. In addition, there is a great Jewish community on campus here. 

Q: Which professor taught you the most important lesson while at ASU?

A: The political history and leadership program's capstone seminar involves writing a 20-page research paper. At the time I took that class, I had just turned 19 years old, the longest paper I had ever written was eight pages, and I had never written a serious research paper. I was terrified of this essay that was supposed to take me all semester to write, because I know that I am prone to procrastination, especially on big assignments. By talking with affiliate Michael Kenny and Professor Donald Critchlow, who co-taught the class, they reassured me that by breaking the assignment into smaller sections, I would be fine. Now, I am finishing writing my honors thesis, and I have been much better about breaking this large paper into smaller sections in order to not overwhelm myself all at once. Big things can easily become smaller ones with some strategy and planning.

Q: What’s the best piece of advice you would give to students?

A: Talk to your professors. I get that office hours are scary, so it does not always have to be during then. Simply walk up to your professor before or after class and talk for a few minutes. Believe me, they want to get to know you. Also, one of the best ways to elevate a PowerPoint or Google Slides presentation from "good" to "wow" is by simply finding a free, themed template online that relates to your topic. Suddenly, even with the same text, the whole thing looks better, and you feel more professional when giving the presentation. Finally, do not underestimate the power of a community. For me, this manifested in my engagement with the Jewish community, but it does not have to be a religious one for everyone. Just because you can spend only class time on campus does not mean that you should. We have thousands upon thousands of students at ASU and hundreds of clubs. Your people are here. You just have to find them.

Q: What was your favorite spot on campus, whether for studying, meeting friends or just thinking about life?

A: I meet my friends at the Memorial Union at least a few times a week. Normally, because the weather is so nice here in Arizona, we are able to sit outside and enjoy each other's company under the shade of the solar panels above. Sometimes, we will meet up inside, especially upstairs on the comfy chairs outside the ballrooms.

Q: What are your plans after graduation?

A: I will be getting a master's degree next year, but I am still figuring out where and in what. As of now I have been accepted to the MA in Holocaust and Genocide Studies program at Uppsala University, Sweden. I am waiting to hear back from a 13-month dual-master's program, during which I would earn an MA in conflict resolution and Mediterranean studies from the University of Malta, as well as an MS in conflict analysis and resolution from George Mason University. I should be finding out soon what my admission results are for that program, so until I know I cannot decide which program I will attend.

Q: If someone gave you $40 million to solve one problem on our planet, what would you tackle?

A: With $40 million, I would try to tackle the problem of political polarization for Gen Z and younger generations. Perhaps this would come in the form of public service announcements and ad campaigns, but most of the money should be used for education efforts in having effective conversations with people with whom one disagrees on fundamental topics. I would focus these sessions on middle- and high-school students, because I have noticed that by college many people's minds are made up, especially now that social media reaches younger and younger children. America was built on the idea of tolerance of opposing opinions, yet as a society, we have moved away from that in recent decades. As the leader of the free world, the diplomacy and peace-seeking of countries halfway across the planet depend on American positions. If the U.S. is to continue as the opportunity-driven meritocracy it was intended to be, the problem of intolerance of opinion must be stopped in its tracks as soon as possible at all levels of society. This does not just affect my generation, or even Americans as a whole, but instead every single person around the world.

Rachel Bunning

Communications program coordinator, School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies

Understanding the power of perspective

ASU psychology, family and human development graduate driven to understand people and their values


April 24, 2023

Editor's note: This story is part of a series of profiles of notable spring 2023 graduates.

Daniella Peinado’s journey to understanding human nature began early in life. The more she learned about people and history, the more questions she had about how humans made decisions and justified their actions. Why did people behave the way they did and choose certain courses of action? Questions like this drove Peinado’s interests as she graduated high school and began planning her college career. A young woman with shoulder-length brown hair smiling Daniella Peinado began as a psychology major but added a second degree in family and human development after taking a particularly impactful class from Professor Tracy Spinrad of the T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics. As a dual major, she loved learning about social development, human personalities and differing perspectives.

Unexpected circumstances initially brought Peinado to ASU, as her grandfather became ill and she needed to stay in her hometown of Guadalupe, Arizona. Attending ASU allowed her to stay near her family while she pursued her dreams. It was also the best option financially, as she qualified for several grants, including the President Barack Obama Scholars Program

Peinado began as a psychology major but added a second degree in family and human development after taking a particularly impactful class from Professor Tracy Spinrad of the T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics. As a dual major, she loved learning about social development, human personalities and differing perspectives. She was also able to study abroad in the Dominican Republic, an experience that changed the way she saw truth and human values.

With graduation soon approaching, we caught up with Peinado to learn more about the lessons she learned.

Question: What was your “aha” moment when you realized you wanted to study the field you majored in?

Answer: As a student who is double majoring, I was lucky enough to have two “aha” movements. The first degree I chose to pursue was a Bachelor of Science in psychology. Truthfully, it’s a little difficult to recall the exact “aha” moment of when I decided to major in psychology — it seemed to have happened gradually. Kids go through this development phase of curiosity and will ask “why?” more times than a person can count, and I just never grew out of that. My questions became more complex and people-focused. I wanted to know why people make the choices they do and behave in certain ways. I also wanted to understand myself better. I had so many questions that needed answers.

During my second semester, I took a human development course with Professor Tracy Spinrad; I learned so much about the mind and body intertwining and nature vs. nurture. I left that class with many questions — the craving to learn more. I spoke to Spinrad about her field of study and just knew I needed to meet with my academic advisor. Pursuing that concurrent major actually fit really well with the psychology major map. Although my credit hours per semester did rise a bit, it was so very worth it. 

Q: What’s something you learned while at ASU — in the classroom or otherwise — that surprised you or changed your perspective?

A: I learned about perspective itself. I found that the study of people, psychology, sociology and everything in between is all based on theories; simply perspectives. We learn and view things in this world through lenses and that is how we justify our answers and actions. It then becomes important, in all aspects of life, to be mindful of the other possible lenses people may be viewing through. Not one theory is correct, not one lens sees everything, and it is OK for perspectives to change, but all call for critical thinking. One of my favorite theories and conversations surrounds behavior change theory: one of the ideas being that behaviors do not change, but environments do. Essentially, better environments lead to better human behaviors. It is our job to create those better environments for one another. 

Q: Which professor taught you the most important lesson while at ASU? 

A:  Professor Laura Hanish. I first met Hanish in the first semester of my junior year in her Research Methods course, where I fell in love with research. At the end of my junior year, she asked me if I was interested in being an undergraduate teaching assistant for her fall 2022 Research Methods class. I spent that summer break meeting with Hanish almost once a week as she would teach me something new about the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software and then send me off on my own to practice with sample data. 

Hanish taught me that learning comes from our mistakes and that it can take time. I was so insecure about being wrong or needing to make corrections that I would doubt myself and the knowledge that I had. I am much more comfortable with learning and trying new things without the fear of failing. I have learned to take my time, accept mistakes and grow from them.  

Q: What’s the best piece of advice you would give to students? 

A: Don’t cheat yourself out of an education. We live in an era where we can access almost anything on the internet. Unfortunately, this can include coursework or answers. Under stress, this can be tempting, but college is so much more than getting the highest grades possible. This is where we can explore and choose what we do and do not enjoy learning about. Someone cannot find what piques their interest by simply learning on a surface level. Read the books, build the model, solve the math, and ask all the questions you can. What you find will amaze you.   

Q: What are your plans after graduation? 

A: I currently work as a program aide for subject area tutoring in University College for University Academic Success Programs, or UASP. After graduation, I will still be part of UASP, but I will be moving up to program coordinator for supplemental instruction and be located on the Polytechnic campus.

Education-wise, I would like to continue learning, so I am applying to the Master's of Sociology program here at ASU. Learning through data and conducting research are some of my favorite things I have done while in college. I plan to continue my education surrounding human behavior and interactions, eventually obtaining a PhD in Sociology.   

Q: If someone gave you $40 million to solve one problem on our planet, what would you tackle? 

A: I am incredibly passionate about children and adolescents, particularly how they develop and who they become in the world. I would create a nonprofit child/adolescent prevention and support program. This would be done through systematic reviews of existing programs, taking what works, and eventually conducting research as it is implemented in communities and altering it as it continues to develop. This would be an integrated program that teaches young people emotional regulation skills, foundational life skills, how to survive when the world is against them, and how to minimize risk factors in their lives.

Children and adolescents are the future of the world; they should not be seen as burdens or problems. Too many teenagers and children are thrown into society with no knowledge and turn to substance use, self-harm and prostitution to survive. This program would not just be providing clothes and food but teaching them how to apply for jobs, obtain an education, advocate for themselves, and so much more in collaboration with social workers, psychologists, educators, physicians, artists, business owners and others who can offer something to youths.

Jennifer Moore

Communications Specialist Associate, T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics