I absolutely enjoyed this course and Dr. Leap is truly great at the work she does. Prior to this course, I never have been as emotionally moved in any class in my life. The topics that she covered throughout class were definitely relevant to our daily lives. They hit especially close to home if you grew up within the environments discussed in lectures.

Since it is a 3-hour long seminar, I felt that I was spacing out at times so I wished we could have interacted more with our peers. You cannot use your phone or laptop, which may seem torturous but she makes the class go by fast. As for grades, I think the last two recent reviews sum the class up pretty well. It truly is an easy A. The books were amazing reads and not at all your typical textbooks. They actually give insight into the stories of individuals who have had personal or familial encounters with youth incarceration, child welfare, intimate partner violence, and so much more.

Her cursing and humor may come off as brash to some students, so if you’re opposed to that then probably don’t take it. But, she truly cares about students’ learning. I loved her style of teaching and 100% recommend taking this class. During Week 9, she hosted her open house office hours where you can come to talk to her about literally anything and this is how I really got to interact with her, ask for advice, share stories, and get a free cookie! Overall, I always looked forward to attending each class. I hope to take another class with her again.