- Year: Senior
- Major: Political Science — Pre-Professional Legal Studies
- Quirky Fact: If I could live forever and have an unlimited supply of funds, I would probably go to school forever.
- Favorite Food or Drink on Campus: Turkey and Dressing from the T-Room, but by mid-October, it will be the Chick-Fil-A Sandwich
- Favorite Book/Movie/Podcast: The Dark Knight
- Favorite Campus Event: Constitution Day
Why did you choose Murray State University?
In high school, I had a few options, including the University of Kentucky, Bellarmine, and Kentucky Wesleyan. I knew about Murray State, but I had never considered it seriously because it was the place that so many of my peers were going to. But then we took a school trip to Murray State, and the moment I stepped off the bus, I knew. Everyone was so nice and super helpful and it was so beautiful in the mid-fall. I knew this would be my home. I had to convince my parents because they didn’t really want me to leave home, but Murray State was so affordable and it felt like a place where I could be more than just a number. I would get to know my teachers and they’d get to know me. There was a lot I liked about it. It was seriously the best decision I’ve ever made in my life.
Why did you choose your major?
Since I was 12, I have wanted to be an FBI agent. However, when I was in high school, some of my teachers gave me other suggestions about what career path I should follow, so I was confused for about five years about what I wanted to do with my life. I thought I was not good enough for government, and people told me there are too many lawyers in the world, so when I entered college my freshman year, I went in undeclared. But my interests were still the same at heart — I knew I wanted to study criminal justice, forensic chemistry or political science, so I took criminal justice and political science classes, and they fit perfectly into what I wanted to do. After my first semester, I officially decided this was what I wanted to do. Even former Murray State president Dr. Bob Davies encouraged me to declare political science as my major. I was passing through Wells Hall one afternoon and Dr. Davies was sitting in the lobby with two other Murray State administrators. We greeted each other, and he asked me my name, where I was from, and what I was studying. I told him that I was undeclared at that time and that I thought about political science and law school, but that a number of people told me it was a waste of time because I would never find a job. He told me that if I do what I’m interested in and put time and effort into it, I would excel no matter what. That’s what it takes in the field of law and government; like anything else, it takes time and maximum effort to be the best you can be, and when you are great at what you do, the jobs will follow. That really spoke to me because I didn’t want to do chemistry or math, but political science was interesting to me. That was the second-best decision of my life.
Who have been your mentors?
I don’t think I’ve ever had a professor I didn’t like in the political science department, but Dr. Polizzi is definitely one of my more prominent mentors. He teaches the subjects I’m interested in like international law, terrorism, international security, human rights, etc., and he’s really helped me narrow down which areas of political science I’m specifically interested in.
Tell us about your major accomplishments relating to your major?
This past March, I was a guest panelist at the Kentucky Political Science Organization, where I presented on the judicial philosophy of former justice William O’Douglas. He was considered to be the most liberal justice to ever serve on the Supreme Court. He voted on the Supreme Court with how he felt instead of the precedent of other cases and I thought that was very interesting, so I presented my research on that. I’m also in the national Political Science Honor Society.
I’ve conducted research generally throughout my coursework here, most of it concerning terrorism and counter-terrorism. I’ve studied topics like the state’s respect for human rights and whether that level of respect for your rights has any impact on terrorist activity in every state. There’s a lot of research on this topic, most of which suggests it does have an impact. I did a cross-sectional analysis of that, and it was the first quantitative paper I’d done. Right now, I’m doing some research about how terrorist organizations end, recruit, things like that.
What are your plans after graduation?
I’m planning on going to law school. That’s certain. I really want to pursue a dual degree, either in the area of international relations or criminal justice. I feel like my entire undergraduate has been divided between international politics and American politics. I would like to study both because I feel like my life can’t have one without the other. I was going to graduate in December, but I got selected for an internship with the Legislative Research Commission in the spring. I was honored to be selected, so I changed my graduation date.
Can you tell me a little about your internship?
The Legislative Research Commission is the administrative and research body of the Kentucky General Assembly. They select anywhere from 15-20 students from across the state of Kentucky to serve as interns, and I was fortunate enough to be one of those people. We have an orientation in November where I will get to meet the rest of the interns and the committee. We will go through the committees and rank which ones we want to be a part of, then they will make their selections from there. Depending on the office we are assigned to, we might do different tasks. Some of them include researching for legislation, writing bills, etc. They will teach two classes at the capital: Problems in State Government and The Kentucky Legislative process. I’m really excited to be a part of that because they are more specific classes than I’m used to here.
What should a new student to Murray State University know?
I think it’s important for students to know why they’re here. Too many people come to college just because they know they have to do something. If someone knows what they want to do, that doesn’t matter so much until they really know why they want to do it. It’s also important to realize that we have people on campus who will help you find what you’re passionate about and why you’re passionate about it. When you come to Murray State, students are valued here. Professors want you to succeed.
College of humanities and fine arts 