It all began with a dream to change the world. To be bold, daring, and to show others, we must empathize, connect, and coalesce. This drive amongst my classmates persisted from the reverberation of our anticipation and the drumbeat of excitement from the moment we all walked into orientation at Johns Hopkins SAIS. I was drawn to politics, the human condition, and the social sciences, essentially, what it meant to exist as a political subject. This profound aspect of my psyche guided me to choose SAIS. My family’s journey from Soviet-occupied Poland during the Cold War to the US naturally led me to pursue a study of foreign policy and history.
What did it mean, to change the world, specifically the world of politics, which to me looked brutish, cold, and unfathomably stuck in an unabating logic that didn’t resemble my outlook of a well-functioning and tolerant world view. My first day at SAIS represented relinquishing myself to understand the other. Everyone I met, I opened with inclusivity, inquisitiveness, and endearment. Their courage and keenness to change the world reflected mine. I knew precisely then I had chosen the right place, and that the future of politics unfolding on the international level would surely mirror the exuberance and unity of my peers.
The first week of classes was enthralling, from the first-of-its-kind SAIS seminar to a class on Chinese foreign policy with renowned scholar Dr. Jessica Weiss, and a philosophy of economic justice course with Dr. Belinda Archibong, which resonated with my intrigue of the intersection of philosophical theories with capitalism.
I knew this program would catapult me into a place where possibilities erupt in a variety of professional and academic fields. Every week, SAIS clubs hosted events for a variety of student interests: technology, defense, energy, finance, government, consulting, non-profit engagement, and news media & journalism. The eclectic yet niche fields beckoned me here. Even the student body, with classmates having experience from over 50 different countries and backgrounds, combines to form an immersive and unparalleled graduate school experience.
Attending happy hours and speaker events from SAIS professors across departments fortified my already rich interest in international community building and IR dialogues related to how state actors behave in the theoretical frames of the world system. From the Charles Gati current events seminars to Hillary Rodham Clinton showcasing her book on the psychology and practice of crisis decision making, SAIS created an environment of analytical and profound debates on the most pressing issues in the IR field to date.
DC itself unlocks some of the most prominent leaders, politicians, and international attachés. My few-day excursion to the IMF and World Bank annual meetings included a series of panels, ranging from Goldman Sachs executives to the Governor of the Pakistani State Bank. After my International Economics final, while exiting SAIS, I serendipitously joined my friends for the No Kings Protest and saw Bernie Sanders give a resonating speech on class struggle to over 5,000 people.
Dr. Archibong’s connections at The Brookings Institution made it possible to meet leading scholars on Africa’s regional emerging economies. Visiting Capitol Hill and the Senate buildings allowed us to actively engage with our state senator’s staff, highlighting the intense communication and professionalism of SAIS students. To top it off, the semester ended with purchasing tickets to an Italian Embassy ball, which included lots of dancing, networking, and jazz tunes enchanting the illustrious night.
As I continue here at SAIS for the next year to follow, I am avidly awaiting engaging more with my fellow SAISers, whom I now call a family, at school-sponsored events through leading multi-media management on the SAIS Observer and SGA to promote SAIS’s mission of tackling global problems and cultivating innovative thinkers in the field of international relations. Being an international relations student at SAIS means more than changing the world; it means connecting, building lifelong friendships and career prospects, and becoming the international relations professionals we’ve all dreamed of. After all…we are the SAIS Mafia! Let’s go and change the world, SAISers!