Political science alumni are making their mark in Washington, D.C., building successful careers at prestigious organizations including The Washington Post, the White House, Hilton Worldwide, and Facebook, to name a few.
No matter what path they follow, they rely on skills developed in the College of Arts and Letters.
“The value of a liberal arts education, to me, is the ability to critically judge my own opinions and my own determination of the world around me,” said Katie Beirne Fallon ’98. “It's a skill set that you can only develop in classes that really press you to check your own boundaries and look outside your own viewpoints for answers, and that skill set is increasingly valuable across many, many parts of our professional and political universe today.”
Katie Beirne Fallon ’98, senior vice president and global head of corporate affairs at Hilton Worldwide, majored in government and international studies. She was awarded a Marshall Scholarship and went on to earn a master’s degree in comparative ethnic conflict from Queen’s University in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and a master’s degree in comparative politics from the London School of Economics.
Prior to her present position at Hilton Worldwide, Fallon was the director of legislative affairs at the White House for President Barack Obama, working to improve the relationship between Congress and the Office of the President.
Carlos Lozada ’93, who majored in political science and economics, is now an associate editor and nonfiction book critic at The Washington Post. He earned a master’s degree in public policy from Princeton University and worked as an analyst for the Federal Reserve before shifting his focus to journalism. He credits his Notre Dame education with teaching him to think critically and marshal his arguments, as well as inspiring and stoking his curiosity and skepticism — two qualities essential for a journalist.
Kaitlin Sullivan ’10, a product policy manager at Facebook, majored in political science and minored in philosophy, politics, and economics. After graduating, she completed two years of service with Jesuit Volunteer Corps. While working on a master’s degree in public policy at George Washington University, Sullivan interned at Facebook, which ultimately led to her current job. A liberal arts education prepares students to tackle problems and answer big-picture questions, she said.