Graduate Spotlight: Diana Esters (WCU 2024)

by | Jan 23, 2025 | Interviews, News, The Director's Blog | 0 comments

We are always excited to highlight outstanding student-scholars who have played a vital role in Center’s projects and events. Diana Esters is a perfect example of such a student-scholar. In the fall of 2023, Diana was selected for the gift-funded, seminar class: Lunch over Liberty. The academic seminar hosted guest scholars who presented their ongoing research projects. Diana always offered excellent insights. Her questions often served as a focal point for ways the scholar could improve their working paper. In the spring of 2024, Diana was one of two WCU students to be named Lee Barnes Student Debate Fellows for the 2024 calendar year. As a fellow, Diana worked with me, another Western Carolina Student, and a College and Debates Discourse Alliance representative to hold two campus-wide debates in the spring and two in the fall. In the summer of 2024, Diana was intern at the American Institute of Economic Research (AIER) in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Just before the final fall debate, I interviewed Diana to learn more about her experience at WCU and AIER.

Diana Esters (second from the right) at the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, Merrill Award Dinner, Reagan International Trade Center, Washington, DC, Oct. 24, 2024. Photos by: Zaid Hamid Photography. Copyright 2024. zaidhamid.com.

 
SM: Tell us a little about yourself.
 
DE: I am a senior at Western Carolina University studying Economics and Management. I am currently the lead Econ tutor with the Writing and Learning commons, as well as the Director of Communications for WCU’s Society for Human Resource Management chapter. 

 

SM: How did you learn about the AIER internship? 

 

DE: Professor Edward Lopez here at WCU shared the opportunity and information about the program with me last fall.

 

SM: What did you work on while at AIER?

 

DE: A majority of my work time at AIER was spent developing and presenting a research project in which I explored how retail sales and wealth distributions affect velocity of money. In addition, I used my discoveries to write an op-ed navigating wealth tax proposals through the lens of the velocity of money. 

 

SM: What did you learn while interning at AIER?

 

DE: The AIER internship explores a world of topics from Austrian economics, externalities, and public choice as well as the gold standard, monetary policy, and crypto currencies. Not only did I learn about these foundational concepts in lectures, but I got the opportunity to engage with these ideas in my research, with AIER fellows, and truly gain a glimpse into the field of economics.

 

SM: What was a typical day like at AIER?
 

DE: The workday mostly consisted of independent work and any discussion seminars or lunch talks being held that day. Often work would take the shape of collaborating with other interns, grad fellows, and AIER scholars to advance each other’s research projects, or just to discuss and explore topics of interest.

 

SM: You also attended a week-long seminar this summer. Tell us a little bit about the seminar.

 

DE: I had the opportunity to attend The Summer Seminar in Classical Liberalism at Wabash College, hosted by AIER and The Stephenson Institute. This was a very interesting program that gives students the chance to meet other like-minded scholars and students and engage in lectures and discussions highlighting classical liberal thought. The seminar’s itinerary nicely incorporates interactive lectures, breakout discussion groups, and even fun events that give attendees the chance to engage with one another. 

 

SM: What are your future goals?

 

DE: Following my graduation from WCU in December I plan to attend graduate school to continue my studies in economics.

 

Diana is currently in Washington D.C. as a 2025 Washington Fellow with the Fund for the Americans Studies.