Alumna Hailey Brown reflects on her time as a political science and sociology student in the School of Public Policy
Hailey Brown
By Ellie Webb-Bowen, CLA Student Writer - April 30, 2025
Growing up in Tigard, Hailey Brown, ‘24, favored math in middle school and high school and saw herself going into a STEM field when considering her options for college. However, when Brown was a senior at Tigard High School, a friend of hers was already at OSU majoring in political science and spoke highly of their professors and coursework, convincing Brown to follow suit.
Brown enrolled at OSU for fall term 2020 and moved to Corvallis during the initial months of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Though classes were entirely online for that fall, Brown still found silver linings in the unprecedented experience.
"Corvallis was pretty much a ghost town, but it was still fun to experience life away from home in a new and different setting," said Brown. “I managed to find a rhythm amongst the chaos.”
Intro to Comparative Politics (PS 204) was Brown’s first foray into political science at the School of Public Policy and from then on, she was hooked. Brown enjoyed the policy analysis mixed with history and saw how interconnected policy was with livelihoods. Not long after, she eventually added sociology as a major.
Advised by Dr. Christopher Stout, associate professor of political science, Brown joined the University Legislative Scholars (ULS) program, an experiential learning program that nurtured Brown's interest in public policy and provided a taste of working in the public sector. As a result of joining ULS, Brown had the opportunity to inter with Oregon Representative Paul Evans as a legislative aide. As a member of Rep. Evans’ office, Brown was in charge of tracking legislation related to emergency preparedness and wildfire mitigation and management. Additionally, Brown attended committee meetings and wrote briefs and reports for Rep. Evans’ policy staff, gaining valuable knowledge and skills that she would not have been able to obtain in a classroom setting.
“This was my first insight at the inner workings of how policy is written,” said Brown. “In addition to being involved in tracking legislation, Rep. Evans allowed us to sit in during any meetings or sessions that interested us. The legislative scholars program and Dr. Stout helped fine-tune what I thought about when it came to my career path, which I'm very thankful for.”
During her senior year, Brown became a senator for the Associated Students of Oregon State University (ASOSU) and was a member of the Budgets Committee, which oversaw the appropriations of funds throughout the academic year. “The most rewarding aspect of being involved with ASOSU was the people that I got to work with,” said Brown. “I learned how to work and engage with my peers not just on the committee, but throughout campus.”
Additionally, during junior year, Brown became Vice President of Finance for her sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta (AGD). Becoming involved in AGD pushed Brown outside of her comfort zone and in ways she wouldn’t have herself. With an interest in public policy and finance, the role of managing the finances of the 100+ member household was a perfect fit for her. “My role as V.P. helped me understand finance in a clearer yet more personal way, and also allowed me to connect and network with alumni who have a lot of experience in finance.”
After graduating Brown wanted to utilize her experience in public policy in some way, so she applied for a position at the Washington State Department of Commerce, the state’s agency responsible for community and economic development. Now, as Local Government Fiscal Note Analyst, Brown was hired to update cost models used to help evaluate legislation.
“All legislation requires fiscal notes, or a written summary of the bill’s financial impact, costs, savings, revenue impacts etc.,” said Brown. “When a bill is proposed, I analyze the fiscal impact it’ll have on specifically small, local governments across the state. The bill could be on anything from housing to homelessness and pension reform to labor laws.”
Though only a year after graduating, Brown feels lucky to have the opportunity to go straight into the field she was hoping for so soon. She encourages all students to get involved in extracurricular activities at OSU, “even if they aren’t related to academics, it may open new doors for you.”