Suzanne Darwish, Political Science Student

When college students choose a program major, it is often to immerse themselves into a subject that fascinates them. For Aristotle, politics was the "master science" on which all branches of human activity depended. For students like Suzanne Darwish - who has traveled to and lived in different areas of the world - political science offers an opportunity to explore how and why public decisions are made about important issues our country is facing. It also presents an opportunity for students to experience civic engagement - an area where Darwish is thriving.

"When I came here, I hadn't figured out yet what I wanted to study, but I got involved with student clubs and have been very active since," says Darwish. "I chose political science because I'm interested in government, and so I got involved in student governance. Being in different clubs has taught me leadership, and it also brought me out of my shell. I was very shy when I moved here."

Darwish is a native of the U.S., but lived in Egypt for seven years and traveled to other countries with her parents, who have multinational backgrounds. Because of the family's heritage and because they've visited various parts of the globe, Darwish is fluent in Turkish and Arabic, speaks some French and is learning Spanish at NCC.

"I'm working on bettering myself in those languages. I want to be able to speak them fluently and use that skill in a government job," says Darwish, whose career goals include interning for the United Nations and one day becoming a lawyer. "Having the influences of other cultures has helped me so far."

Darwish enjoys taking the knowledge and stories of places she's visited around the world, and sharing with peers who may not have had the opportunity to experience life outside of the United States. But at the same time, she also recognizes that her professors and peers here have a lot they can teach her.

"I've learned something from all of the people I've met here. From the professors who first helped me figure out what I wanted to do, to my peers who made me feel like I could go to them and they could help me," Darwish says. "The biggest thing I've learned here is that I can interact with people of so many different backgrounds. It's been fun getting to know different people and also teaching them some things I know."