Where are you from?
I was born in San Francisco, but I moved to Portland when I was 9.
What drew you to studying political science?
The two sides of my family have diametrically opposing politics and are ethnically, culturally, and religiously quite different. I believe this is why I have always been fascinated by how and why people live their lives differently and how the incredible diversity of humankind can best live together. Learning about the evolution of Western political thought and institutions in my high school AP European History class opened my eyes to how politics is one lens to look at these essential questions of human life. I am a practicing Jew and was taught both in Hebrew school and at home about the importance of striving for a kinder, more just, and more peaceful world. Political science offers many paths to promote these ideas, from practicing law to creating law to international diplomacy.
Political science, in theory, is also a place to ask questions and engage in discussion. This is the only way to begin to address how different people can live together and what actions and policies best support the three qualities mentioned above. Growing up in Portland, any questions that differed from a single narrative were stifled, and discussion did not exist. People with different world views were looked down on and excluded. I struggled with this and was motivated to seek out truly open political discourse. I co-started a club in my junior year of high school called the Common Ground Club, which created a space for rigorous and open discourse to create a more tolerant student body.
This experience, combined with my dreams of traveling, fueled by my gap year abroad, led me to be interested in international diplomacy. I am a transfer student and began college at St. Louis University of Madrid, majoring in political science with a focus on international relations. After taking Introduction to Political Theory and the required philosophy and theology classes freshman year, I realized that these three classes answered my questions, created more questions, fulfilled my intellectual curiosity, and had more genuine academic discourse than my International Relations class. I switched my political science major to be general and added theology as a major. At OSU, I am only a political science major, but I am planning to combine political science and theology/religious studies in my honors thesis.
What has been your experience as a student of both the College of Liberal Arts and the Honors College?
I have been a student in the College of Liberal Arts and the Honors College for two terms. Despite this, I have only had a positive experience. I have taken academically challenging and fulfilling classes where I have learned and practiced valuable skills. The faculty of the College of Liberal Arts and Honors College is excellent. They are not only passionate about their fields, but they also care about their students’ education and well-being. I have appreciated that they balance holding their students to a high standard with being reasonable about life interfering with school. I am beginning to develop a thesis topic, and the professors whom I have reached out to for advice have been helpful and encouraging.
Have you started your honors thesis? If yes, what’s the topic and/or focus of your research? If not, are you considering any ideas so far?
I am starting my honors thesis next term, and I am currently working on formulating my topic. I want to combine political science and religious studies research areas to examine Jewish-American identity and how changes in the American social and political landscape have affected it. From the beginning of the United States, there has been a basis for an unparalleled position of Jews in society. In his letter to the Hebrew Congregation in Rhode Island, George Washington asserted that Jews were not merely to be tolerated or allowed certain rights. Rather, Jews were to be full and welcome participants in building and upholding the nation. As is the case for many other Americans, it took time to fulfill this vision. However, the strengthening of liberal democratic values is pointed to as having led to an unprecedented Jewish golden age in the United States. In recent years, many American Jews have been asking whether this golden age is ending. I am interested in addressing this question and examining how American Jews view their relationship to their simultaneous Jewishness and Americanness in the past and today. I want to understand whether the understanding and position of American Jews in society today relates to the documented decline in support for liberal democracy.
What have been some of your favorite classes taken?
My favorite classes I have taken at OSU are Confronting the Canon and Topics in Peace Studies. In Confronting the Canon, you get the opportunity to read in depth some of the most influential thinkers in the Western political canon and think about, discuss, and wrestle with the timeless questions and ideas they wrote about. Topics in Peace Studies is one of the most engaging classes I have taken. You get to learn about some of the most famous attempts at resolving conflicts of different natures in different places and identify if, how, and why they were successful.
What are you hoping to do after you graduate?
I am hoping to work in education after graduating. I enjoy studying political science, but I realized that I would not be happy pursuing a career in politics. I have always been passionate about education, and in high school and college, I have had teachers who have had a tremendous impact on me. I love to learn, and I want to share that with others. I believe there is a need for critical thinking to be better taught in American schools. One of my favorite high school teachers told my class that teachers are meant to teach students how to think, not what to think. Talking with teachers and professors, I realized that this is what I want to do.
I am figuring out whether I want to do this at the high school or collegiate level. I am interested in going to graduate school for theology and eventually becoming a college professor. The theology classes I took in interfaith settings during my gap year and at my last university were the most fascinating and rewarding classes I have ever taken. I would love to help facilitate the kind of meaningful academic discourse achieved in these settings. However, graduate school is a significant commitment, and I want to get a master's degree, which I will use. I am also interested in teaching high school social studies, as the ideas and skills taught in these classes are of the utmost importance for creating an informed and engaged democratic society. Instead of going straight to a master's program, I am going to work for a year after graduating before deciding on the path I want to take.
How do you feel that your experience in CLA and HC is setting you up for success?
My experience in CLA and HC is setting me up for success by providing me with a quality education and allowing me to hone and practice my critical thinking, public speaking, presentation, and writing skills. Being a student in the CLA has also exposed me to professors who serve as role models for teaching and who have given me valuable advice on my future endeavors. I have not completed the honors thesis, but I am certain it will help me by teaching me how to conduct academic research and give me the experience necessary to decide whether I want to pursue a career in academia.