Why I Love My Major: Politics

What do you like most about studying politics?

I get to learn about a subject that I've been passionate about since I was a kid reading my first history book. I have great fellow students who make learning fun. And finally, the faculty — some of the best teachers I've had in my life. A lot of professors have helped me out on my academic journey and my personal journey as well.

What is politics, anyway?

The common misconception with politics is that we're basically lawyers learning to lie, cheat, and steal to get powerful. But politics is really about helping people, and what we learn at USF is how to do that — how to effect change. We learn about history, about current events, about the future of government, but mostly we learn about change.

At what level does change occur? Are we talking grassroots or Washington, D.C.?

At USF I've learned that you can effect change wherever you are — at the community, state, or federal level. You just need to understand the systems of power and the inequalities that exist.

If I major in politics, can I minor in something else?

You could do what I'm doing, which is legal studies and peace and justice studies. You could study psychology. You could also look into minors in regions that you might want to work in — European studies, African studies, Latin American studies. If you want to change the world, those minors will help you.