Abby Shadden '27 | The Relentless Optimist

With as many as nine internships under her belt before the start of her senior year, the political science major and honors student is exploring every avenue she can as she considers a future in policy and law.

A native of Texas, Abby had always loved debate and became interested in politics during the 2016 presidential election and a state election in 2018. Later, as a high school student completing dual-enrollment courses at East Tennessee State University, she met Assistant Dean of Student Success and Access Jessie Wang '19, who encouraged her to apply to Emmanuel. Eager to see how those passions could translate into a career, she made the move to Boston for college.

“I’ve always been an uber-ambitious person,” Abby said. “I love learning – I love getting out and doing new things. I wanted these layers of experience so I could funnel in on exactly what I want to do.”

One of the first forays into the practical aspects of government and politics was her “transformative and hands-on” experience as a Congressional Intern for Senator Edward J. Markey’s office. After that, Abby worked as a Legislative Intern in the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office. Even as an undergraduate, both opportunities made Abby feel like she had a true impact on the work of both offices.

More recently, Abby worked with the Massachusetts Women’s Political Caucus on campaigns, and did lobbying work with Charles Group Consulting. Not only has she stockpiled plenty of real-world experience as an undergraduate already, but she’s been able to align it with her coursework: doing the learning and practical application side-by-side.

“I was taking what I was learning in class and actively applying it to my internships the next day,” she said, “like learning about educational law from a course, and then using that knowledge in one of my internships!”

With support from political science faculty, Abby has always felt backed in her pursuit of opportunities on and of campus, and has seen her investment in the field flourish as a result. Particularly, Abby appreciates her “bestie” and faculty advisor, Associate Professor of Political Science, Dr. Adam Silver, who always makes himself available to provide specific guidance or encouragement.

Balancing internships, honors coursework, and on-campus responsibilities has required sacrifices, but it’s Abby’s “relentless optimism” that keeps her motivated.

“I try to find the good in everything – even failures – every opportunity is a learning experience,” Abby said.

On top of academics and internships, Abby found that finding community on the Emmanuel campus, and doing her part to contribute to it, has also been a core part of her undergraduate experience.

She is now president of the College’s Law and Legal Studies Club, which is the first club she joined at Emmanuel.

“I was nervous about meeting new people, but when I went to that first meeting, the atmosphere there was so welcoming and warm. It’s kind of why I wanted to become president – I wanted to give students that same feeling and safe space – there’s something unique about that here,” Abby said.

Abby is also a peer tutor, a teaching assistant for the Center, a member of Youth in Government, and a facilitator for RADical Health, an on-campus health and wellness initiative for first-year students. For Abby, mentorship is a source of joy, and it means a lot to her to be able to give back to the community where she has grown so much.

“I wanted to foster community in any way I can. At Emmanuel, you really do find these welcoming, tight-knit groups of people – and that is impactful,” Abby said.