BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Illinois Wesleyan political science students organized a trip to the Northeastern Political Science Association's annual conference on Nov. 14-16 in Boston, Massachusetts, through the national political science honorary society Pi Sigma Alpha.
The IWU chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha (PSA) is a registered student organization on campus with the intent to stimulate scholarship and intelligent interest in political science. Melinda Burgin '25, president of PSA, said the group identified the conference in Boston as an opportunity “to show political science majors the possibilities for research and other careers available in the field, as well as to learn from those currently engaged in scholarly work.”
Through funding from IWU Student Senate, travel expenses to Boston were covered for
Burgin and five other political science students and members of PSA — Vân Lê '26, Valeria Suarez '26, Julia McMahon '25, Victoria
Ballesteros-Gonzales '25 and Franchesca Smith '25.
Lê, who manages public relations for PSA, said the group was thankful for support and guidance from faculty advisor Jim Simeone, who is the Sally A. Firestone Professor in Peace and Social Justice, Professor of Political Science. The group also worked with the Hart Career Center to identify alumni in the Boston area to meet up with students, including Emily Shankar '16, Jim Dorsey '68, Frances Taheri '13 and Myla Green '07.
“Patrick Zajac and Warren Kistner from the Hart Career Center served as invaluable resources in establishing connections with Boston alumni, helping us to arrange two networking dinners with alumni working in diverse industries including consulting, the nonprofit sector and journalism, with educational backgrounds including business, international relations and women's/gender studies,” said Burgin. “As many participants in the trip expressed, it was both reassuring and inspiring to see the success and hear the many different paths taken by IWU alums.”
Ballesteros-Gonzales said she experienced enlightening conversations with alumni.
“They shared how their experiences during and after college helped them develop the skills necessary to transition into their careers. Hearing about the challenges they faced and how they navigated them—such as building a professional network and establishing themselves in competitive fields—offered me actionable ideas to refine my own approach to career planning. Their insights were both practical and motivating, providing valuable guidance as I consider my next steps,” she said.
At the conference, students attended sessions ranging from state environmental policy to trade relations in China, with scholars from the field presenting work for feedback and discussion.
“Each presentation gave insight not only in their subject matter, but also the research process itself. That was especially helpful to the many of us currently working on our own research projects in our senior seminar class,” said Burgin.
Several speakers gave remarks that stuck with the students. Suarez was particularly moved by a discussion by Harvard University Professor of Government Eric Beerbohm, which focused on the intersection of politics and friendship during political turmoil.
“As a Venezuelan, I also found the discussions on authoritarianism and court packing particularly impactful, as they resonated deeply with my country’s struggles against the erosion of democratic institutions,” said Suarez.
Lê said the students left the conference feeling inspired by the scholarly panels and eager to report their learnings to professors and peers at IWU.
“I now have a better understanding of the academia side of political science through listening to the presentations, asking questions and noting the discussants’ comments/criticisms. The varied topics of the panels proved to me how interconnected politics is to the world,” said Lê. “I hope that everyone in Pi Sigma Alpha will get a chance to attend and experience it before they graduate.”
For Ballesteros-Gonzales, the trip underscored the importance of staying adaptable in a competitive job market while emphasizing the power of networking and mentorship.
“The combination of learning about industry practices and receiving firsthand advice from alumni has been incredibly motivating, giving me clear steps to move forward in my career journey,” said Ballesteros-Gonzales.
Burgin said that although she has attended several political science conferences, this trip left a lasting impression, with sessions relating directly to content she is studying at IWU.
“Many sessions expanded on topics like transitional justice and the politics of memory that I have focused on in my political science classes,” said Burgin. “Overall, I left with a renewed feeling of inspiration and excitement for my own research and the myriad possibilities available in my field of study.”