What Can You Do With a Political Science Degree?

Arts Columnist for The JOLT News

How did your Political Science major establish a foundation for your career path?

Throughout the process of getting my degree in Political Science, my eyes were open and my passions awakened to the things I deeply care about and gave me the confidence and tools to effectively communicate important concepts to the public. With my degree and deep care for my local community in Thurston County and especially our arts scene, stepping into this role as a columnist felt like a very natural next step into bringing political science into my everyday work and beyond.

What do you love about your job?

As a columnist, I have creative control over what I write and I have the ability to express my opinions, dive into deeper political discussions, and shine a spotlight on the work being done in the arts community that deserves public support. Writing itself is very comforting for me, and I find it relaxing to sit at my computer each week and express the things that have been on my mind and heart each week, and let my stream of consciousness flow. The longer I write for this paper, the more I get recognized by the public even when I am at the store. That recognition feels incredible, like a true honor, and something that makes me proud to be a humble servant for arts advocacy.

What was your favorite/best part about majoring in Political Science?

Every class within the Political Science degree turned on a light switch in me and gave me a sense of independence in coming into my own political consciousness and values. I began to care deeply about things that I might have cared about all along, but maybe did not understand as well or ever tap into. I loved the experience of actively researching, asking questions, engaging in nuanced and complicated discussions, and writing about it all. I found it really fulfilling and rewarding to compile everything I learned into a paper, something that you can physically hold and say “I did this.”

Congressional Staffer for Congresswoman Suzan DelBene

How did your Political Science major establish a foundation for your career path?

Majoring in political science at PLU provided me with a background in politics, government, and public policy that taught analytical and practical skills for working in government. In particular, courses like ‘State & Local Government’ and ‘Public Policy’ gave me foundational knowledge that I use daily to support the work of the Congresswoman and the House of Representatives. While I am still early on in my career, I am confident that the theories studied, textbooks read, and lectures listened to will guide me through future possibilities.

What do you love about your job?

I love that the overall goal and mission of my job is to help people. Since I was young, I was always determined to have a career focused on serving others and creating positive change. I spent four years working in different roles across a variety of local campaigns, and while I was passionate about the candidates I was working to elect, I felt that the one ‘missing’ piece of my role was direct impact and improvement for people’s lives.

What was your favorite/best part about majoring in Political Science?

My favorite part of my political science major was finding courses that complemented the coursework and further prepared me for my current role and potential future studies. Specifically, I found that courses in economics, statistics, international relations, and history supplemented knowledge areas and deepened my understanding of topics present in political science classes. The beauty of political science at a liberal arts institution is the ability to expand on your major through creating a diverse academic transcript of courses. Bringing this knowledge to your political science classes will not only be welcomed but also encouraged in order to strengthen and enrich both conversation and coursework.

Medical Coordinator with Peninsula Community Health Services

How did your Political Science major establish a foundation for your career path?

I had it all figured out. I’m going to major in Religion and go to seminary for graduate school, so that I can pursue my dream of becoming a pastor overseeing my very own nondenominational megachurch. Yes, it is actually the most wonderful feeling in this lost world to have a relationship with Jesus.

But then I also majored in Political Science, and now I was going to bring my faith with me and become an immigration attorney because I knew that I needed to fight for undocumented rights, racial justice, and human civil rights. My Hispanic background is something that I hold close to my heart. Growing up white and Hispanic, I always felt the need to overcompensate for the “brown” in me. But I learned that all of the identities in me are just as valuable. I completed a double major at PLU with two capstones; the Political Science one changing everything for me after curating a massive research project on healthcare rights for undocumented Hispanic and Latino immigrants across the U.S., a public policy that needed much attention. And then, that’s when it all came into focus. Religion, politics, immigration, law, and finally, healthcare.

Healthcare injustice for immigrants, healthcare injustice for all. It’s all connected. Faith and government, government and faith. How we view people, how the state recognizes its residents, policy and healthcare playing an integral part into people’s lives will inadvertently reveal the effects of one’s documentation status, and where they lie in the eyes of institutions. So I’m intersectional. Multicultural. I can’t be fit into one box, and I have many purposes on this earth. We all do. For me, it starts with what’s most important in our American governmental system: Healthcare. Something that has always affected me as a young girl in a family of two high school sweetheart parents, struggling but never giving up. The year right before I graduated, my mom’s health issues grew severe. Her health changed everything for me. Everything that I do from this point forward is so important. For opportunity, for change, for more. More starts with now. And now, I vow to use my faith to reach populations in the medical field who have been relying on their faith in God, someone desperately hoping that their mom would get better. I vow to extend my attention and support to those undocumented, who have lived through this unfair American healthcare system. To raise my voice to policymakers and legislators about healthcare being the first priority, starting with our basic needs, within our community. To use the gifts that God gave me, and to steward them well by becoming a Clinical Nurse Leader who is involved in both the world (of religion, policy, and many different social groups) and in people’s lives (including yours, and mine). I will be obtaining my Masters of Science in Nursing (MSN). It’s crazy how I started out with one dream in mind. And look where it led me. A number of purposes, and still the same dream: serving Jesus’ people. That could be you.

What do you love about your job?

What I love most about my current job at PCHS is the versatility of the company. We are a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) that was first established in Bremerton during the 1980s, and Bremerton is my home town! They started out as a community health center with no regard for ability to pay or provide health insurance status, and many of those principles still remain. Meaning, PCHS was deliberately designed as a type of nonprofit healthcare in which people below the poverty line, people who have faced language barriers and discrimination in their healthcare journey, and people who descended from humble beginnings can obtain the best quality healthcare as you would from a private or corporate company. Also, PCHS reflects my own values that I’ve always had: providing services that extend beyond “customary” healthcare services such as legal representation, housing, transportation, financial assistance, health education, youth and adolescent care, and substance abuse treatment in addition to the standard medical, dental, behavioral, and pharmacy care. They fully acknowledge the breadth of taking care of one’s health. Working alongside nurses and doctors is preparing me for the world of Clinical Nurse Leadership.

What was your favorite/best part about majoring in Political Science?

My favorite part about majoring in Political Science at PLU was the faculty. If it were not for Dr. Maria Chávez and Dr. Michael Artime, I don’t think I would have gained the very passion and inspiration that is needed for change to occur in this world (seriously). The passion that Dr. Chávez and Dr. Artime emphasized over their Political Science students was the biggest influence for me, because I learned about what makes them passionate. Ironically, Latino politics was a common interest across the department. I also learned the ambidexterity of writing as a political activist, state lobbyist, prospective lawyer, and most importantly, inventing my own voice through the study of politics. During my time at PLU, they both carried the entire department.

Assistant Property Manager with King County Housing Authority

How did your Political Science major establish a foundation for your career path?

The political science major helped me establish a career path by giving me vital knowledge about the systems that I wish to work in. Every day, I see the effects that politics have on both a systemic and individual level. The knowledge that I gained because of my political science major will also help me as I look forward to a career in public service law.

What do you love about your job?

The thing I love about my current position and what I anticipate loving about my future role(s) is that I get to serve others. I love that I go to work every day knowing that what I am doing is in service to my community.

What was your favorite/best part about majoring in Political Science?

My favorite part about majoring in political science was that it challenged me to think critically about my own perspectives. I learned so much by thinking about problems from every angle, which is a practice I still do to this day.

Executive Legislative Assistant

How did your Political Science major establish a foundation for your career path?

It gave me the framework to understand how institutions work—and how to improve them.

• Political Science trained me to think critically about government systems, human behavior, and the balance between policy and practical impact.
• Studying constitutional structures, public administration, and ethics gave me the tools to serve effectively in state government.
• The degree sharpened my analytical skills, my writing, and my ability to communicate persuasively—all essential in legislative work, stakeholder coordination, and constituent outreach.
• It also helped me understand the responsibility that comes with public service and the importance of grounding leadership in values—especially my commitment to placing Christ at the center of my work.

What do you love about your job?

I love being able to serve Washington State in a way that has meaningful, lasting impact.

• I get to help people—sometimes in small ways, sometimes in life-changing ones—and that’s where public service becomes personal.
• The work connects me to communities across the state, allowing me to advocate for transparency, accessibility, and responsive government.
• I enjoy working on policy that reflects the values, challenges, and hopes of the people I grew up alongside in Washington.
• Most importantly, I’m in a role where I can lead with faith, integrity, and humility—putting Christ at the forefront of how I serve, decide, communicate, and show up for others.

What was your favorite/best part about majoring in Political Science?

The major opened my eyes to how ideas become action and how people can shape their communities.

• I loved the conversations—big questions about justice, leadership, public ethics, and the role of government.
• The program pushed me to engage with diverse perspectives, debate constructively, and back up my arguments with solid research.
• I enjoyed connecting philosophy, policy, and real-world outcomes—learning not just how systems work, but why they work that way.
• That curiosity and discipline ultimately shaped how I approach leadership today: grounded in facts, open to dialogue, and committed to improving the lives of Washingtonians.