As a freshman at Aquinas in the fall of 2005, I never could have imagined myself going from Aquinas to the United States Senate to Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government to pursue a master’s degree. I know, however, that I wouldn’t have been able to do the things I’ve done in my career without the solid liberal arts foundation and sense of service to the community that I built during my time at Aquinas.

I had always been interested in history and politics, but it wasn’t until I took World in Crisis with Dr. Durham that I was exposed to the formal discipline of political science. The class opened my eyes to new ways of looking at the world and motivated me to learn voraciously. I threw myself into political science and found that I wanted to pursue it as a career.

So, I triple-majored in political science, English, and history, taking advantage of the incredible extracurricular activities offered at Aquinas. I played varsity baseball, participated in model United Nations, served in the Student Senate, was involved with the political studies club, and was a member of the Insignis Honors Program. I also took advantage of internship opportunities, spending time in U.S. Senator Carl Levin’s Washington, D.C. and Grand Rapids offices working on legislative issues. Upon graduation in 2010, I worked as Field Director on fellow AQ alumnus Pat Miles’ campaign for Congress. The campaign was a grueling, but ultimately rewarding experience that helped build networks and forge relationships which have helped me get where I am today.

After the campaign ended, I took a job as a staff assistant in the office of Michigan’s U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow in Washington, D.C. I worked hard and took advantage of opportunities in the office, and in a little over a year I was promoted to Deputy Press Secretary.

Because the communications team needed to have incredible breadth of knowledge about policy, I was involved in nearly every legislative effort the office undertook, from stopping Asian carp and other invasive species to issues of community mental health to the minutiae of tax reform.

Most of my energy, however, was directed to implement and help design the office’s coordinated communications strategy around Sen. Stabenow’s bipartisan Farm Bill, the passage of which was a major legislative accomplishment for Sen. Stabenow and our team.

A few months after the Farm Bill was signed into law, I was promoted to full Press Secretary. I served as Press Secretary for a few months before leaving the office to pursue a Master in Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Upon graduating from Harvard, I hope to return to Washington to continue my career in public service in foreign policy.

I can’t say enough about my experience at Aquinas. The professors have an incredible ability to stimulate discussion and learning inside and outside the classroom. My classmates challenged me to deepen my learning and be able to defend my ideals. Aquinas’ focus on service to others inspired me to pursue a career in public service and continues to play a significant part in my career goals. Aquinas is a truly special place that helps students cultivate diverse skills and achieve their potential. I know that I would not be where I am today without my Aquinas experience.