Considering Other Perspectives

From a longstanding interest in activism and diversity studies, as well as a hope to attend law school, Anlin Thachil chose to study political science and sociology of law, criminology, and justice. The dual lens offers what she considers to be the most authentic way for her to look at something. She doesn't just think like a political science student or a sociology student—the intersection of the disciplines shapes her approach in considering the context, history, and additional factors.

She studies political science, specifically, as it provides an insight to perspectives she had not previously considered. "Being introduced to people who think differently or reach different conclusions—even professors who have different reasonings for how they get to some conclusion," Anlin said, "I learned so much about other people's perspectives and how subjective politics can be. Everyone brings their own experiences into it and I've really enjoyed getting to know how other people think." Furthermore, understanding institutions & government and their functions are important to Anlin as they affect so much of daily life.

Institutional Insight

Anlin also chose to study political science to gain a view of what it's like to be in government, institutional wise. To deepen her understanding, she has had three internships focused in government. Despite her desire to go to law school, she chose to pursue internships in government to explore the ways in which law and government go hand-in-hand, as government is needed to enact policies and legislation that define what the legal system looks like.

The first of these internships took place during the summer between Anlin's sophomore and junior years with the Ramsey County Attorney's Office. As they were pursuing cases on behalf of the county, she gained firsthand experience with what cases the county takes on, as well as where the intersection between law & government is and what that looks like.

Her other internships included positions with the City of Minneapolis's Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging department through Urban Scholars and Senator Tina Smith's office. Through these experiences, Anlin gained a clear view of the different levels of government, how the government & law intersect, and what she wants to do in the future.

Commitment to Community

Anlin was recently recognized as an awardee of the 2024 Sue W. Hancock Scholarly Excellence in Equity and Diversity (SEED) of Change. SEED awards honor students for their outstanding work in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion while at the University of Minnesota. The Sue W. Hancock SEEDs of Change Award is given to undergraduates committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion through their academic achievement, community outreach & engagement, and leadership.

In addition to her internships, Anlin remains active in the campus community through various organizations. At the core of many of these commitments is her interest in the activism side of political science. "College is kind of when I started actually thinking about what diversity is," she said. "There's so much that goes into diversity, so many different identities that make up who a person is. I started realizing just how different every individual is, but that doesn't mean that difference has to divide us."

Anlin's past involvement includes being the Indian Student Association (ISA) & Pre-Law Society president; a mentor in Asian American and Pacific Islander Students Promoting Inspiration, Resilience, and Empowerment; a kickoff leader with the Multicultural Center for Academic Excellence; and activism and philanthropy chair of Sigma Psi Zeta, a multicultural sorority.

In these activities, Anlin has learned about the many different identities people have, the intersections of identities, and how those identities can create identity & shape one's experiences.

To help illuminate the different identities people hold and create community, Anlin has worked to shed light on smaller identities within the Indian community that are not often talked about. She has also made efforts to connect people of color in law with students interested in the field but do not see themselves and their experiences reflected as a way to also build community and show that there is a space for students of color.

She remains inspired to do this work form the advocates and people she has met through school and her internships who are passionate about their work; she reflected that "passion is what keeps you going."