Learning to Create Change

For Breanna Wollman, a second-year political science major, coming to the University of Minnesota was an opportunity to explore new interests. 

Beyond political science, Breanna is an honors student, leadership minor, Community Engaged Scholars Program member, and teaching assistant for CLA 1001 and 1002: CLA First-Year Experience. She is also a speech and debate coach at Edina High School, which she participated in throughout high school.

For the speech and debate events she competed in, it was necessary to stay up to date on what was happening domestically and globally. Nonetheless, to Breanna, "it's important that people understand the way government works because it is one of the ways someone can create change. When you understand those systems, it's easier to leverage them."

This mindset is evident and inspiring in Breanna's classes. "The people I sit next to in class — they're changemakers," she says. "The political science degree, it's not just that you're interested in politics and government. There also is that underlying 'I want to change the world and this degree might help me achieve that.'"

Breanna feels lucky to be surrounded by people who, like her, want to be aware of current events and create change. "This coursework helps [us] learn how to do that."

Public Policy Leaders

This summer, Breanna will embark on two opportunities that will further her learning in creating change. The first of these is the Henry Clay Center College Student Congress.

The College Student Congress is designed to cultivate essential personal character skills for future leaders in public policy, politics, diplomacy, and contemporary leadership. Through an experiential and immersive curriculum, students learn about the dynamics of the policy process. They also engage with lawmakers, academics, government relations experts, and policy advisors to explore the challenges of formulating comprehensive public policy.

Breanna is most excited about how this program intentionally selects students across the political spectrum. As political polarization looms, she looks forward to learning how to better disagree with others, especially during the simulation on creating bipartisan policy.

"I'm interested in tapping into those uncomfortable conversations to learn more about the other viewpoints on these topics."

Such opportunities are particularly important to Breanna as a first-generation student and as a woman in a field that often feels dominated by men.

"I am where I'm at because of the support I've had from my parents who didn't have the same opportunities as me," she reflects. It is also important because "I think women in government and policy don't get the recognition they deserve. I've spent my time at the U trying to fight for some of that recognition of women in these fields."

Additionally, Breanna finds it important to pave the way for women in this field, given the sacrifices made by women in her family. In a scholarship application, she wrote, "the sacrifices made by my mother and grandmother brought me here. Due to their upbringing in a religiously orthodox colony, education was out of their grasp, no matter how far they tried to reach. Now, I persevere because they share my success —  just as they have shared my struggles."

Building connections and having conversations with students from other schools who have faced similar challenges, as well as dissimilar situations, is valuable to Breanna in learning how to create effective change.

Exploring Public Service

Following the College Student Congress, Breanna will participate in the Next Generation Service Corp Summer Policy Academy (SPA).

SPA is a professional development experience designed to empower students to explore public service careers. Students gain insight into public service careers, an expansive network of peers and professionals, policy knowledge and skills, as well as a broader civic perspective.

Breanna will be part of the foreign policy cohort, with members whose interests range from immigration and international relations to healthcare and clean energy. She looks forward to learning about others' lived experiences and their "why" for pursuing public service.

Furthermore, Breanna is excited for the program's seminars and sessions, which will explore larger domestic and global issues. As Breanna is particularly interested in international relations and is preparing for her thesis on the relationship between the United States and China, she is excited to gain information for her thesis and to become a better informed global citizen.

Political Science Community

Political science coursework has helped Breanna stay informed and improve her critical thinking and writing skills; more importantly, the department has helped her create community.

With the help of professors, Breanna was able to explain and articulate her lived experiences in a way that clearly explains where she is going, which was critical to her program applications.

Due to her speech and debate experience, Breanna is well-versed in how to tell a story to get a point across. Nonetheless, she reflects that "the political science department helped me work through how effective storytelling can be in political conversations to create empathy on either side. Putting names to stories is helpful when trying to help someone understand an experience they haven't yet had themselves."

Effective writing and storytelling are not only beneficial for applying to these opportunities, but are also critical for policy work. Breanna explains that "what policy gets pushed through and what doesn't is, a lot of times, due to the writing." It is equally important to understand the large issues and how to converse with people across the political spectrum or with different experiences to effectively create change.

By Sophia Paschke, communications associate.