One transformative high school law class changed Alyssa’s college plans from STEM to political science.
“I view it as a way to have more paths to protecting other people,” she said. “I have always had an interest in current events and foreign policy, and I now know I want to go into a field where I can make the most effective change to address systemic injustices that prevent people from protecting themselves.”
Alyssa chose Emmanuel for a number of reasons—the small class sizes in which she could build relationships with her peers and mentors, myriad cocurricular activities, and the College’s Boston location.
“Going into political science, I loved the thought of being surrounded by a multitude of government agencies to get as much hands-on experience as possible,” she said.
Prior to her junior year, Alyssa, who also majors in Spanish, interned as a campaign fellow for now-Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s mayoral campaign and as a content writer for the Borgen Project.
“Campaign work was incredible, “she said. “I met the most driven and empathetic group of people who dedicate their lives to getting a candidate elected for the betterment of society. Similarly, writing for the Borgen Project was a great way to complement my foreign policy studies and find out new paths people take to protect basic human rights.”