Political Science Students Summer 2022 Inside Washington Program
Political Science students at the Summer 2022 Inside Washington Program
Welcome from the Chair
Bryan Marshall
Dear Alumni and Friends:
I am wishing all of you a happy and safe holiday season. We have had an amazing Fall here in Oxford. It has been one of those memorable seasons with spectacular colors—mother nature’s canvas on this campus and the surrounding area was simply breathtaking.  It may have very well been a fall like this one that inspired the poet, Robert Frost, to describe Miami as “the most beautiful campus that ever there was.”
I also have exciting news—we want to recognize the department’s approaching centennial year—Happy 100th to the Department of Political Science (a little more on that at the end of this letter).
We’ve had our share of construction around Harrison Hall this season. There is an ongoing renovation of Ogden Hall which you may recall is in very close proximity to us in Harrison Hall and also they’ve been working on improving the environmental sustainability by connecting geothermal pipes to the surrounding buildings on campus. These projects should be approaching completion by Fall 2023.
Despite all the construction dust flying around, I’m delighted to report a highly productive season with our students. Here’s a sampling of what we’ve been up to.
Judge Michelle Sheehan '90, upper right, is judge in Ohio’s Eighth District Court of Appeals. Judge Brendan J. Sheehan, upper left, is Administrative and Presiding Judge at Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court.
We work regularly with our partners over at the Center for Career Exploration & Success and POL alumni to put on career roundtables for our students. For example, on Oct 13 we had a packed room in Harrison Hall for students interested in Careers in Law where alumna Judge Michelle Sheehan '90 and her spouse, Judge Brendan J. Sheehan visited with us to talk about the great variety of career possibilities in the area of law. What a great conversation we had with students and plenty of pizza and chocolate chip cookies to go around!
Law Fair 2022
October 26, 2022 Law Fair    
Janus Forum November 2022
Janus Forum November 2022 poster
Staying on the law career theme, we had many of our students participate in this year’s Law Fair on Oct 26. This was a great event organized by the Sue J. Henry Center for Pre-Law Education, where over 60 law school representatives were on campus to talk with our students interested in law school.
Beyond all this, our students had the opportunity to enjoy some outstanding university-wide events. For example, on Nov 15, the JANUS Forum presented students with a unique opportunity to hear from and discuss contrasting views from two leading experts following the Supreme Court’s recent decision that reshaped the landscape around Roe vs. Wade. Stephanie Grisham and Johanna Maska joined us for an insightful examination of “Life after Roe: What Happens Next?” You can read more about the JANUS Forum event in the article here, Life after Roe.
With your help, we are able to support our students in pursuing some unique and transformative experiences. For example, two of our outstanding students (Khenadi Grubb and Drew Schoelen) participated in a highly selective conference from Nov.2-5, the 73rd Student Conference on US Affairs (SCUSA) at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. These students had a unique experience, networked with top military officials and other young leaders, and worked in a roundtable group to produce a topical “white paper." Here’s just a short spotlight from political science student, Drew Schoelen, on his SCUSA experience.
Drew Schoelen is bottom row, center right
Drew Schoelen is bottom row, center right
Political Science Student—Drew Schoelen (SCUSA Fall 2022)
My name is Drew Schoelen from Falls Church, VA. I am a senior political science major and also a Midshipman in the NROTC program at Miami. I want to thank you for your generous support which allowed me to attend the Student Conference on U.S. Affairs hosted at the United States Military Academy.
At the conference, my fellow students from West Point and colleges all over the country worked together with subject matter experts to create an actionable policy recommendation for future U.S. foreign involvement. It was such an enriching experience being able to work with people from so many different backgrounds, applying all knowledge I've gained from my time at Miami to create an actionable policy. Between making lasting friendships, getting exposure to government officials, like our keynote speaker, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, and experts in the foreign policy field, SCUSA is an experience that I will never forget. Thanks to your ongoing generosity, I hope that many students in the future will continue to be able to attend this conference and other similar experiences.
I’ve included just a few of the POL students that we’ve supported over this past spring and summer during the Inside Washington program. You can hear about their stories in their own words—how internships and the Inside Washington experience impacted them.
Joe Delaney (right) with Sen. Marco Rubio
Joe Delaney (right) with Sen. Marco Rubio
Political Science Student—Joe Delaney (Inside Washington Spring 22)
I participated in Miami's Inside Washington program for a semester and had the opportunity to intern in Washington, DC for Florida Senator Marco Rubio. It was my first internship in Washington, and provided the chance to learn about the legislative process and a career in the city that can only be understood through personal experience.
Towards the end of my internship, I began to help staffers prepare for hearings with the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. I started off with writing briefing memos on witnesses and then moved on to writing recommended questions for the Senator, a few of which he actually did ask at hearings. In addition to my work-related tasks, I experienced other things that were only possible because I was a Senate intern. I spoke with the Iraqi ambassador, shook hands with several members of the Ukrainian and Polish government, saw the Columbian President, and sat in the confirmation hearings of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson for almost two hours. At the grocery store near my apartment, Senator Bernie Sanders came up to me and asked me if I knew where the peanut butter was. I am still not sure if I sent him in the right direction or not.
The opportunity to be in Washington also allowed me to reach out to Miami alumni to get to know them better and learn about their careers. Despite their busy schedules, they all went out of their way, whether during the work day or after hours, to meet up and talk with someone who just reached out to them through LinkedIn. The ability to meet up with former Miami students actually helped me get my current internship at the Senate Banking Committee. None of those experiences or my current internship would have been possible if I had not been able to intern through Miami and Inside Washington.
Political Science Student—Hila Eitam (Inside Washington Spring 22)
Hila Eitam
Inside Washington is by far the best opportunity I have been a part of during my time at Miami. I was able to meet and network with professionals in D.C. working in a range of careers from the media, Congress, law, public administration, and others.
Through all these connections and my wonderful internship experience at a lobbying firm, Ferox Strategies, I was able to get a better idea of what I would like to pursue in my career after graduation. Being in D.C. along with other motivated Miami students, gaining internship experience, and experiencing significant political events in the nation’s capital was simultaneously the most fun and the most educational semester I have had.
Political Science Student—Khenadi Grubb
Khenadi Grubb
I can’t thank Miami Alumni enough for their incredible generosity of funds that helped support my summer in Washington D.C. during Miami’s Inside Washington Program. In conjunction with my participation in the program, I got to intern with the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
This was the most incredible and rewarding experience I could have ever imagined. I got the opportunity to observe, report, and contribute to some of the major foreign policy decisions and relationships going on in our country, and I could not have enjoyed the internship more. Again, all this is thanks to your scholarship that helped make this experience possible and I can’t wait to see what amazing experience next year's students will be able to achieve.
Political Science Student—Terius Madrigal
My summer 22 Inside Washington experience was one of a kind. I got to understand what direction I wanted to pursue not only for law school but for a career as well. Living with other highly intelligent and hard-working students who all got amazing internships, I got to understand the standard required to work for any of these employers post graduation.
There was something to learn from everyone and everything. The faculty made sure we made the most of our experience and we also made connections with highly regarded speakers all who had incredible careers. Lastly I grew a love for Washington D.C. and understood what makes the capitol so special yet at the same time complicated. I would highly recommend anyone interested and who can afford the program to participate in it as it is a once in a lifetime experience that I am so glad I decided to take on.
We have much to be thankful for when it comes to our students and all of you—our Miami alumni. We are able to make the impossible, possible—and to open up great opportunities for our students because of your commitment to our students. As you can see, the support you provide in time and resources has made an indelible imprint on the lives of these students. I can see the extraordinary impact from student experiences like these included here, and it always recharges my battery as a Chair and teacher. Your willingness to “pay-it-forward” to students is a big part of what makes Miami such a special place.
That’s why I’m beginning a new student scholarship initiative in celebration of the Political Science Department’s 100th Centennial. As much as we’ve accomplished with our students—and there has been so much, yet there remains significant student need. I’m asking you to help us put together a permanent endowed scholarship for political science students. The student scholarship would support transformative opportunities like the ones we’ve seen in this letter but also help us recruit great students that may not otherwise be able to come to Miami.
I’ll include more about the 100th Centennial Scholarship for Political Science students in our next newsletter, but for now if you’d like to contribute and/or talk more about how to earmark a contribution or to talk with me more about how we can work together for our students, please don’t hesitate to call on me.
Thank you for all you do.
Love and Honor,
Bryan Marshall
Professor and Chair
marshabw@MiamiOH.edu
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