What was your major at Texas A&M and what job do you have now?
I was a political science major from Arlington, Texas, and now I work in education policy at a think tank named Next100 in New York City.
What’s your Aggie story? Did you always want to be an Aggie? Did you get to Texas A&M knowing what you wanted to major in and what career you wanted to pursue?
Truthfully, I didn't understand what political science was when I chose it as my major. I had grown up in a political household and I think I had seen an episode of the "West Wing" and thought that looked cool. Luckily, as time went on and I learned what political science actually was, I found I really enjoyed it.
Were you involved in any extracurricular activities as an undergrad?
LGBTQ Aggies and the GLBT Resource Center were really big parts of undergrad for me. As someone who went to college without family support, it was so important for me to be able to make a family of my own—that is what those organizations meant for me.
What is one thing you will say about your time at Texas A&M that you believe makes it different from any other university?
When I attended A&M, it was going through some (necessary) growing pains—growing to become more welcoming to LGBTQ+ students and to students of color specifically. In many ways, that process is still going on, and will continue to go on as A&M welcomes more students every year. But when I attended, I was able to grow along with the university in a way that I'm not sure I would have at another institution. I'm grateful for the lessons I learned at A&M.
What was one class that really had an impact on you as a student? Why?
Public opinion with Dr. Kellstedt. One of the best, most engaging professors and the one class that completely changed the way that I view my field.
What is one piece of advice you'd like to share with high school students who are considering applying to Texas A&M?
I'm glad that I chose to attend A&M—I honestly didn't know it at the time, but—it was exactly the right place for me to be. Maybe it will be for you too!