Harpur student spotlight: Melissa Esposito
Senior PPL major serves as chief editor of Binghamton Law Quarterly
Melissa Esposito is determined to make an impact through the legal system, but she isn’t sure in what area that impact will be.
“I think that employment law should be strengthened in this country,” Esposito said. “But I also have an interest in international law. I am still very open to different fields of law.”
Esposito declared her philosophy, politics and law (PPL) major after experimenting with elective courses her freshman year. PPL combines three fields of study into one interdisciplinary major to prepare students for law school, careers in politics and beyond.
“There is a solid interplay between all parts of the major,” said the senior from Goshen, N.Y. “There is philosophy behind a lot of politics and a legal aspect of a political realm, so they all relate to each other.”
Esposito has displayed a high level of academic excellence in completing her PPL degree and was admitted into the Pell Honors Program last spring. The Pell Honors Program, offered through Binghamton University’s PPL program, allows students to write a peer- and jury-reviewed article that they defend at a public conference and work toward getting published.
“My thesis is focusing on the issue of a universal basic income,” Esposito said. “There is a lot of discourse surrounding if it’s feasible or how plausible it is in the long run for the country.”
A universal basic income is a regular sum of money received from a source, most likely the government. Unlike Social Security, however, there are no requirements to receive this money and it is distributed to all citizens.
Esposito is weighing in on the pros and cons of a universal basic income to determine how it would benefit not only the less fortunate, but also the working class. She is wrapping up her thesis this semester and preparing to present and publish it this spring.
The Pell Honors Program has given Esposito hands-on research experience, similar to what she will experience in law school. She also has the opportunity to strengthen her writing skills as she serves as the chief editor as the Binghamton Law Quarterly, an undergraduate law publication.
Writers for the publication read through complex cases and issues going on in the world and make them more digestible for students to understand. Esposito works with the writers to maintain a non-partisan view on issues and assure that each article can be easily read and understood by Binghamton University students.
When Esposito isn’t writing her thesis or editing for the Law Quarterly, she donates her time to the Philosophy Department’s Critical Thinking Lab to help other philosophy or PPL students develop ideas on writing assignments.
“I am a writing consultant, so if students ever need any help with their writing assignments I can help organize their papers, work on transitioning from having an idea in their head to putting it on paper and make sure their argument is logically clear and coherent,” Esposito said.
Esposito attributes her strong writing skills to Harpur College’s writing requirements and her work with the Binghamton Law Quarterly and Critical Thinking Lab.
When looking to the future, Esposito anticipates attending law school to pursue a legal career, but intends to take a year off to travel the world before doing so.
“I didn’t study abroad when I was an undergrad so I think world traveling post-graduation would be a great experience,” she said. “I want to see as much as I can while I can.”
For now, the avid hiker enjoys exploring the scenery that upstate New York has to offer.
Esposito said her time at Binghamton University has helped her grow personally and academically and has inspired her professionally.
“I definitely found what I love doing at Binghamton,” Esposito said. “And even though it may take a while, there really is something here for everyone.”