Iona’s Kaitlyn Incandela ’25, ’26MST is Using History and Politics to Spark Change Beyond the Classroom
Incandela is gaining experience in public service by leveraging faculty mentorship
New Rochelle, N.Y. – With a deep passion for history and political science, Kaitlyn Incandela ’25, ’26MST has found her path at Iona University, combining her academic interests as an honors student with her passion for public service.
“I chose to attend Iona because I appreciated the smaller class sizes, which allowed me to build meaningful relationships with my professors,” said the Deer Park, N.Y., native. “I also loved the campus; it felt comfortable and welcoming rather than large and overwhelming. Plus, its proximity to NYC is a great advantage.”
As a history and political science double major, Incandela is also pursuing a 4+1 graduate degree in adolescent education in social studies, which she will complete in December.
Incandela’s studies have focused on understanding people’s stories and the legacies they leave behind – lessons she is eager to carry forward into her own classroom as a teacher.
“I want to learn from the past to help create solutions for the future,” she said.
Her hands-on experience is just as rich as her academic endeavors.
Between May 2020 to August 2022, Incandela spent her summers working as a research intern for One World Consortium, a foreign military sales consulting group. There she researched U.S. global relations, Department of Defense budgets and foreign aid programs.
“It was foundational for me,” she explained. “It was the first time I began to understand the realities and issues other people in the world are facing and made me want to do something to help people outside my own community.”
She has also interned with the Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center, an opportunity she discovered through Iona’s Career Development Center. During her time there, she worked to promote awareness of historical atrocities and lessons in human rights. Currently, she earned another internship with Senator Gillibrand’s office, where she enjoys interacting with constituents and helping to address their concerns.
Incandela credits professors Dr. Hughes and Dr. Lacey for their mentorship, which has been instrumental in her academic development.
“Both professors helped me explore the various career opportunities available with my degrees, including pursuing graduate school programs in the future,” she said. “The best educational experience I had at Iona was an independent study with Dr. Lacey. Our reading discussions on political theory challenged me to think in new and deeper ways. During this course, I encountered one of the most impactful texts I’ve ever read — by Hannah Arendt, who said, ‘Evil comes from a failure to think.’ This idea has stayed with me, and it reflects the core of what I’ve learned through my studies. These programs have taught me how to think critically, analyze complex issues and form my own conclusions.”
Looking ahead, she knows that whatever path she takes, it will be rooted in her desire to serve, saying “Iona has provided a strong foundation for my future.”
“My main goal is to help people understand what is happening in the world and work toward meaningful solutions,” she said.