Christine Macey
Christine Macey of Swartz Creek is currently a student in the Political Science program, and embarks shortly for Washington, D.C. to begin her internship in the office of U.S. Representative Dale Kildee.
“I’m so excited because I am one of his constituents, so it will be interesting to see what his office is like, knowing the area he represents so well.”
Christine began at SVSU as an honors student and plans to go on to law school after she graduates. Her ultimate goal is to become a judge.
“I knew since middle school that this is what I want to do. It’s always been my calling, and SVSU has allowed me to develop and to live this dream.”
“I chose SVSU because I looked at all the schools that offered me a scholarship, and this was my favorite. I have a Presidential Scholarship and am in the Foundation Scholars program. SVSU was an excellent choice because I got to move away from home, but it wasn’t so far that I can’t visit home whenever I want.”
Now perfectly confident away from home, Christine participated in a Study Abroad program in the summer of 2005 in Dublin, Ireland, where she took a class in Irish & American Relations, and Irish Media & Theater, during which the class visited the set of an Irish soap opera during filming.
“The Political Science faculty help teach you how to think, rather than just memorizing things about government or forcing you to take a particular stance on something,” Christine explained. “The professors genuinely care, and that is very evident in the classroom.”
In fact, one of Christine’s professors, Dr. Jesse Donahue, approached her after class with a research project proposal. Christine was asked if she would like to be a Research Assistant on Dr. Donahue’s latest book about publicly funded zoos.
“It was very daunting at first, because I was working on a topic no one had ever written about before. The piece of Dr. Donahue’s larger project that I was responsible for, archival research at the Washington Park Zoo in Michigan City, Indiana, naturally grew up into my honors thesis project, which was titled, “A New Deal for Zoos: A Study of Federal Government Funding of Zoos in the 1930s.”
“My honors thesis was the largest project I’ve ever worked on, but my advisor was there every step of the way, and I learned how to do it one step at a time.”
In addition to her coursework, Christine became very involved in the community during her time at SVSU. She serves as a Truancy Mediator for area high schools; a volunteer in the Personal Protection Order office of the Underground Railroad, where she has had the opportunity to meet many prosecutors and judges; and she is a volunteer for Andy Coulouris’s campaign for the seat of the 95th District of the Michigan State House of Representatives
Christine’s advice to new students: “Believe in yourself. SVSU has really great students and opportunities, and most people don’t recognize this. Your fellow students are just as important to your education as your professors and the classrooms.”