Each year the International Studies faculty vote to select two outstanding students to recognize at the Academic Convocation in the spring. This year, Leah Ash and Lauren McLane were the students who were selected for this honor. They were recognized at the Twenty-Ninth Annual J. Harry and Anna Jeanes Academic Convocation on Friday, April 23, 2021. Before they graduated, we asked them a few questions about their experiences at Baylor and their advice to future students.
1. Why did you choose to major in International Studies?
Leah: I wanted to study something that would challenge my way of viewing the world and expose myself to new perspectives about international affairs and about different regions of the world, namely Russia and Asia.
Lauren: I chose the IST major because I feel that the nature of the global system today means that nations will continue to find themselves interacting with one another more and more frequently, and I wanted to be a part of that navigation. I was also very interested in learning about different cultures and systems of government in other regions of the world and how they affect international collaboration.
2. What is a valuable learning experience you had at Baylor?
Leah: Studying both Russian and Korean has been an incredibly valuable learning experience for me. Both languages have challenged my brain in unimaginable ways while expanding my ability to communicate with different people. Learning them has also taught me to be more patient with myself and others and to put more effort into understanding different points of view.
Lauren: The Baylor Model UN team has been an incredible learning experience for me at Baylor. I joined the team my sophomore year, and have had the opportunity to travel with them to Chicago, New York, and DC for conferences. My involvement in the team has taught me how to be a better researcher and writer, and has allowed me to study the application of IST alongside some of the most talented and passionate students I’ve met!
3. What are your plans after you graduate?
Leah: I am currently planning to take a year off to work and then go to grad school for Russian and Eurasian studies.
Lauren: After I graduate, I hope to continue my work with the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. I am also planning on attending George Washington University’s Elliot School of International Affairs part-time starting in the fall.
4. Do you have any advice to the freshmen thinking about majoring in International Studies?
Leah: I would say to approach the major with an open mind and to be willing to go beyond your comfort zone with some of your classes. I am a little biased, but I would also highly recommend studying a language (or languages) to complement your studies, especially languages with a higher demand like Russian, Chinese, Korean, etc.
Lauren: I would advise freshmen to not hesitate to become involved in the program through participating in events and any organizations that you are interested in! We have so many wonderful faculty in the IST department who want to get to know you and help you get to where you want to go, so take advantage of that. Also, if you have the opportunity to do so, study abroad! There’s no better way to get to experience a different culture and broaden your worldview.