By Emily Blackner
Elm Staff Writer
For international studies major Alison Payne, Washington College has provided many life-changing experiences that have opened her eyes and helped her set worthwhile career goals.
She chose WC for its location.
“I’m from the Eastern Shore,” Payne said. “I live in Centreville and commute to campus. I chose to come here because I know the college and its reputation really well.”
Being a commuter student on a primarily residential campus gives Payne an interesting perspective.
“Because I live in the area and work outside of school, I see a lot of the professors outside. It’s not something you’d expect,” she said.
She works at Banana Republic, but still has plenty of time for her studies. Payne was named a W. Tapley Bennett fellow by the international studies department. To be eligible, students must have a “high ethical character, sound judgment, and commitment to global understanding and service,” according to the international studies newsletter “Beyond Borders.”
“I was also inducted into Pi Sigma Alpha, which is the national political science honor society,” Payne said. “I’m always reading the news as well.”
Payne’s WC experience has broadened her horizons beyond these local roots.
“My favorite experience isn’t really at WC, but more because of WC,” she said. “My study abroad experience in Egypt has definitely changed my perspective on things. Since I’ve come back it’s really been reflected in my work.”
One example of such work is her thesis.
“I did my thesis on democracy under Mubarak,” she said. This is a very timely topic considering the revolution that just occurred, ousting the Egyptian president. “It was really difficult to do research after the revolution because there is so much information that was relevant and that I needed to include, but it all happened so fast. And at some point I had to decide when to stop and cut things off.”
Payne’s experience at WC was definitely enhanced by the professors she encountered.
“One of my favorite professors is definitely Dr. Wade; I had her for a couple of classes. You can look back over your college career and one professor stands out. For me, that is Dr. Wade,” she said. She also enjoyed the global ethics class that she took this semester.
With those experiences and a degree under her belt, Payne hopes to continue on to graduate school.
“I want to go back to the same school where I studied abroad to see it post-revolution,” she said. “I’m getting my masters in Middle East studies, focusing on development and humanitarian practices.”
“I wanted to work for a defense agency before I studied abroad,” she said. “Now, I want to work in development, maybe for an NGO [non-governmental organization] or some sort of group like USAID.”
May 6, 2011
Volume LXXXI Issue 25