Camellia Schinner: A BPATS Student with a Vision for Change
Motivated by her desire to complete her degree by the time she turned thirty, Camellia Schinner encountered what she calls a series of unexpected “synchronicities” that led her to apply to the BA program at The New School. From reading a volume on effective altruism co-edited by Professor Alice Crary, to hearing a talk on austerity and capitalism from professor and political economist Clara Mattei, Schinner couldn’t deny that TNS was calling to her. After growing up on a seventeen-acre ranch and running a nonprofit focused on rescuing animals, New York was a completely new world for her. But her connection to advocacy work, environmental and agricultural issues, and her intellectual thirst pushed her to make the cross-country move.
Schinner is currently enrolled in the Liberal Arts BA in the Bachelor’s Program for Adults and Transfer Students program and has taken classes including Intro to Food Studies and Marx. What has really stood out to her is “a class with Clara Mattei called Introduction to Political Economy” which Schinner described as “…a radicalizing experience”. “I was really drawn to how the class examined capitalism in a way that wasn’t just about numbers and stock markets, but about how it affects people’s everyday lives. I think that’s why I gravitate toward academia—it allows me to explore these complex, real-world issues in depth.” This has helped shape her long-term goals: a Ph.D. and career in academia during which she hopes to further explore critical theories and their intersections with environmental and animal rights movements.
Her current independent research project is focused on the ethical and psychological dilemmas faced by youth in agricultural programs. These programs “prime young children to participate in the agricultural industry through, specifically, livestock raising programs. They raise an animal until they’re slaughter-weight and then they sell that animal at auction for it to get slaughtered,” Schinner explains. “There’s a complete dissonance,” she says, “between their emotional attachment to the animal and the harsh realities of the agricultural industry.” Through her research, Schinner hopes to explore how these programs shape young people’s economic and ethical values and how alternative models of empathy and animal welfare might be integrated into agricultural education.
Outside of her academic pursuits, Schinner is actively involved in the University Student Senate. Her leadership role complements her interest in community engagement and social change, as it allows her to channel her passion for advocacy into actionable impact at the university level. “USS is all about advocating for students’ needs and bringing important issues to the administration’s attention.” Schinner emphasizes, “We want students to know that we’re really trying to advocate for their needs and to bring issues to the surface so that admin can see what we’re dealing with and what kind of changes we want.” One of her responsibilities is funding student clubs, organizations, and initiatives to create an active and vibrant community.
“[TNS] was created by radical creative thinkers, trying to find ways to turn their artistic practice into something that is political, that actually has something to say about social relations outside of an individualistic perspective,” Schinner says. “We question how we can use our creative philosophy to talk about things in a meaningful way.” With this new mindset, and through her independent research, student leadership, and advocacy work, Schinner is dedicated to creating more compassionate, just, and sustainable systems. Her vision blends intellectual inquiry with practical action, as she works toward a future that honors ethical integrity and environmental sustainability.
As she continues her studies and builds on her nonprofit background, Camellia’s unique combination of academic rigor and grassroots activism will undoubtedly pave the way for meaningful contributions to the fields of animal welfare, social justice, and environmental advocacy.