Political science senior Kari Hoy uses the Experiential Learning Scholarship from the College of Liberal Arts to learn from her peers
Kari Hoy
By Colin Bowyer, Communications Manager - March 26, 2025
Kari Hoy’s original goal to enter public service stemmed from a government class in high school. Initially wanting to become an immigration lawyer after involvement with her local representative, Rep. Joseph Neguse, her interest transitioned to international politics upon starting at the College of Liberal Arts (CLA).
Wanting to leave her small hometown of Evergreen, Colorado, Hoy toured OSU and loved the campus and Corvallis’ natural beauty, enrolling as a political science major. Her academic journey took another turn after taking Michael Trevathan’s International Environmental Policy and Politics (PS 477) class sophomore year, prompting her to add environmental economics as a minor.
“It made complete sense to me,” said Hoy. “I’ve loved the broader context of my political science classes, but economics has been a helpful way of quantifying policymaking.”
While at the School of Public Policy, Hoy worked as an undergraduate researcher in Trevathan’s Global Politics Research Lab and took part in the University Legislative Scholars Program.
During her senior year, Hoy applied and received an Experiential Learning Scholarship from the College of Liberal Arts, which allowed her to travel to Washington D.C. for Pi Sigma Alpha’s annual conference. Not only did Hoy attend the national political science honors society’s convention, she also participated in a panel discussion focused on the ongoing war on Ukraine, referencing her own research from a class she took on the subject from Dr. David Bernell
“This was a fantastic opportunity for me to share my research and learn from my peers about their experiences in public policy and political science. This was a huge step in my career and I couldn’t have done it without the scholarship.”
Hoy was able to take what she learned from her studies in political science and from attending the conference and apply them to her current role as policy director at the Associate Students of Oregon State University (ASOSU), where she looks for ways to have OSU students engage with state and federal policy making.
Now, Hoy is looking to finish up her last term at CLA and hoping to find a role in international politics, either in public service or private sector, with potentially grad school on the horizon.