What is your current major and why did you choose it?
My two majors are Political Science (Public Policy and Law track) and Communication (Journalism track). I chose to study Political Science because politics affect every area of life – from who has the nuclear codes to the shoes one wears. Many people dislike politics due to its inherent controversies and paradoxes, but these qualities only draw me in further. Participating in the chaos is the only way to improve politics, or at least mitigate the damage.
Why did you choose to study at Seattle Pacific University?
During high school, many people encouraged me to go out of state for college to several renowned universities. Although Washington isn’t exactly known for its Ivy League schools or huge metropolises, I don’t have any regrets studying in a college 30 minutes from home. For one, Seattle is a growing city in a region brimming with vocational opportunity and natural beauty. As someone who wants to settle down in Western Washington, studying at SPU allows me to build experience and networks in a way that directly furthers my long-term goals. Although I believe all three of Seattle’s main universities have much to offer, I really value the personal connection students can have with SPU’s professors. It’s not just that the class sizes are small, but the professors here genuinely invest in their students.
How do your Christian faith and your Political Science coursework both influence your career aspirations in immigration advocacy?
Although it’s easy to point to Christian principles such as justice and caring for “the orphan, the widow, and the foreigner” to explain why I think immigration policies need fixing, my advocacy really stems from an even more fundamental Christian commitment to the truth. My work is an attempt to bring some healing to an issue that is usually dealt with through emotion and misinformation rather than logic and facts. Sound reasoning, it turns out, is an essential foundation for competent and compassionate government as well as meaningful citizen action. I am thankful that many of SPU’s Political Science courses involve as much political theory as they do political science, meaning that students are exposed to great thinkers and conceptual frameworks that help them evaluate current political situations. This has aided me in developing my own positions in a systematic, yet open manner in a society that runs on subjectivity. Last year, a number of SPU staff and professors were incredibly supportive as I organized an event that countered immigration myths. In the future, I hope to continue to serve immigrants while also bridging political division on immigration through education.