Student Spotlight: Joslyn Blass
Joslyn Blass is a junior double-majoring in political science and strategic communications. Read her Student Spotlight Q&A to learn more about her and her experiences as a political science student.
What is your hometown?
Singapore.
Why did you choose to major in political science?
Growing up I was always a social science kid—whether it was taking American history courses, government classes, or even studying Singapore legislation for my AP research paper, I have always been drawn to history, politics, and law. Political Science was a no brainer for me.
My family is also involved in politics and international relations. My mom and older sister both work in government affairs and international relations. My dad’s career in journalism has also kept him close to issues of international politics.
What has been your favorite political science course at UMN?
POL 3835: International Relations! This was the class that made me realize I wanted to focus on international relations rather than US politics. I’m currently taking Politics of Trade and Money with Professor Freeman and Politics of Nuclear Weapons with Professor Bell—both of these have been super fascinating so far! Something about myself is that I do NOT like Political Theory courses, but I find International Relations theory SO fascinating.
How are you involved on campus?
I am the President of the Undergraduate Political Science Association (UPSA); the Interim Director of Government and Legislative Affairs for the Undergraduate Student Government (USG); and the Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Alpha Phi. So safe to say I’m pretty involved! I also used to be a CLA Ambassador.
Off-campus I’ve also had some internship experience while at UMN. The past two summers I interned in Washington, DC. Most recently, I was a Government Relations intern for Invariant, one of the top lobbying firms in DC. I worked for their health care team and spent my summer immersed in health care policy.
What is your favorite part of the political science department?
I love how eager the professors are to support you in your academic journey. For example, I’m currently in the Honors Thesis preparation course to begin working on my honors thesis and I’ve been meeting with several International Relations professors who have been really eager to support me as I start figuring out this massive project ahead of me. It feels so reassuring to know there are so many faculty members within the political science department that are so genuinely excited to help support your academic journey.
What do you hope to do after graduation?
I hope to move to Washington, DC and either work on Capitol Hill or for the State Department. My dream would be to be a staffer for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. I am also planning on either attending law school or getting my Masters in International Relations. I go back and forth between the two each week, but I know for sure I want to pursue an advanced degree in some capacity.
What advice would you give to prospective political science students?
Get involved in organizations related to your major. Being in political science lectures, it’s so hard to make friends or even “study buddies.” I found that after joining UPSA and USG, I met so many people within the political science department, and now, in every single class I take, I have at least one friend in that class. It makes going to class and studying for exams so much easier when you have people to lean on. My Honors Thesis Preparation class, for example, is just full of student government kids, and it makes the class—which is pretty intense since we’re figuring out what we’re doing for our theses—so much easier!
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