Each year, the Jackson School takes University of Washington undergrads beyond the classroom and into the heart of U.S. foreign policymaking. For the second annual Washington D.C. spring break trip, 25 students traveled to the nation’s capital from March 22 – March 28 with faculty members Stephen Meyers and Jessica Beyer for a week of immersive meetings spanning the Pentagon, Department of State, the European Union Delegation, the Embassy of Finland; international organizations like Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the World Bank; and events like a panel with early career Jackson School alum. We sat down with participants to hear about their experience networking with UW alumni, exploring career pathways, and seeing international relations in action.
Nadine Ali
Meet Nadine Ali
B.A. in International Studies and Political Science
Hometown: Phoenix, Arizona
Expected to graduate: Spring 2028
For me, the highlight from this trip was the Alumni and Friends Reception. The range of careers that I saw Jackson School alumni representing made me excited for my future in the Jackson School. It was refreshing to see that there was no limit to what this major could become, and it opened my eyes to different paths that are possible.
Taylor Arredondo
Meet Taylor Arredondo
B.A. in Political Science; minor in Latin American and Caribbean Studies
Hometown: Spokane, Washington
Expected to graduate: Fall 2026
A highlight for me was our visit to the Organization of American States! During our visit, we got to see the Francisco de Miranda room which was the original board room for the building in the 1920s. We were able to sit in the original mahogany chairs used by representatives that had the name and crest of each member state carved into them while we learned more about the history of the room. It was incredible to be able to interact with a piece of OAS’s history in that manner, especially as someone who is minoring in Latin American and Caribbean Studies.
Daisy Lui
Meet Daisy Lui
B.A. in International Studies and Communication
Hometown: Seattle, Washington
Expected to graduate: Spring 2026
My most important lesson during my time in Washington D.C was to take my time to discover what I want. I don’t have to be stuck on one path, most times you try all these things. And when you try these different interests and things you never know that it may be the path for you. I met so many people who shared not knowing what they were really passionate about.
Meet Sophia Reyes
B.A. in Political Science
Hometown: Baltimore, Maryland
Expected to graduate: Spring 2027
I loved the Alumni Reception because it was fascinating to learn about the careers people went into after graduation from UW with a degree in international studies, political science, and/or law, societies, and justice. Some alums went into careers related to politics, and some went into careers vastly different from their field of study.
Joseph Riggio
Meet Joseph Riggio
B.A. in Political Science, Law, Societies, and Justice, and Sociology; minor in Human Rights
Hometown: Bothell, Washington
Expected to graduate: Spring 2026
The Jackson School DC trip provided necessary skills in the policymaking and advocacy space so that I can work with international government organizations like the International Criminal Court Trust Fund for Victims to improve their reparation services.
Forrest Wu
Meet Forrest Wu
B.A. in International Studies; Chinese; Law, Societies, and Justice
Hometown: Seattle, Washington
Expected to graduate: Spring 2027
I highly recommend the Jackson School D.C. trip. It provided invaluable insight into the types of careers available, what interests me, and the different pathways I can take to achieve my goals. [Drs. Beyer and Meyers] were also fantastic, and it was a great opportunity to build connections and friendships within the Jackson School.
