Since my freshman year at Indiana University, I anticipated being part of the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs’ Honors Program. Once accepted, I was thrilled that I would be able to take on a thesis and start exploring a new topic. However, what I didn’t expect was how daunting the task of writing a thesis would be, especially during the most formative and challenging time of both my undergraduate career and, quite frankly, my life.
I went into the process thinking I’d choose a topic that had interested me during my time studying abroad, specifically, sexual assault rates on transportation within the United Kingdom. I was excited to take on this topic because I thought it would be interesting enough to engage myself during the process, interest law school admissions committees when reading my application, and keep the attention of my audience when I did eventually present.
While I knew that the writing itself would take work, I don’t think I fully understood how much effort outside of just writing this project would demand. I quickly learned that an honors thesis isn’t just about answering a research question; it’s about defining one that has real consequences, that hits home, and that reflects the ever-changing world that we are currently living in. That’s a much harder assignment than just picking something “interesting.”
Our country and our politics have been shifting at a pace that’s hard to keep up with. However, their effects are immediate and have impacted people and communities tremendously. I didn’t anticipate writing my thesis on a highly political and controversial issue. I didn’t want to ruffle any feathers or have classmates think of me one way or the other by assuming my political affiliation. Once President Donald Trump was elected for his second term in November of 2024, that changed.
Like many Americans, the day after the election was one that felt like mourning. In the morning, I sat staring at my phone, wondering how our country could have possibly condoned the return of a president who dramatically changed our nation during his first term, let alone someone who has been convicted of tremendously disgusting acts against women in particular. I grieved that day.
That day felt familiar, like I had experienced it before. When I was reflecting on the election results and the amount of chaos that happened under the first Trump term, I was reminded of the mourning I felt in June of 2022, when Roe v. Wade was overturned. The next week, in the midst of starting my thesis on my prior topic, I went to my professor and decided to scrap my original idea completely. I was going to focus on something that mattered, both to me and all women around our country.
Writing about such a controversial issue, like abortion, wasn’t a walk in the park. There were days I felt overwhelmed, not just by the amount of information, but by the emotional weight of it. I wasn’t just writing about laws or court decisions. I was writing about real people, real consequences, and a very real violation of rights. However, overcoming this overwhelming feeling was when I had a breakthrough.
My thesis became more than a graduation or Honors Program requirement, it became a way for me to process what was happening around me, how I felt about it all, and start a crucial conversation about the attack on women that is still going on around our nation.
I say all this not to scare anyone off from writing a thesis. Yes, it’s hard. Yes, it’s a lot of work. But it’s also worth it. My journey was far from linear, and there were plenty of moments when I wasn’t sure I’d finish at all (just ask my thesis advisor). But I did. And looking back, I’m not just proud of the final product, but also of the decision to write something that mattered.
If you’re starting a thesis with the O’Neill Honors Program and you’re unsure about your topic, here’s my honest advice: unless it’s your life’s work, don’t be afraid to change it. Let your heart drive you towards something that lights your soul on fire. Writing a thirty-page paper and spending over a year researching a topic that doesn’t get you excited will get you the Honors Distinction, but will it challenge you?
Take the risk and change your topic.
Reese Wiley is from Indianapolis, Indiana. She studied Law and Public Policy at the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. In the fall of 2025, she will be attending Maurer Law School to pursue her Juris Doctor. Her thesis topic was about the intersection of interstate travel on reproductive care in a post-Dobbs world.
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