The Department of Political Science was the incubator of my big dreams to bridge knowledge and practice to serve the Filipino people. The quality of training I received in the Political Science program planted the seeds of my more profound understanding of the Philippine political landscape and the workings of the international system. At the same time, the Department of Political Science gave me ample space to explore and expand valuable organizational and leadership skills.

The fundamentals I picked up as a Political Science undergraduate major and later taking graduate-level courses allowed me to explore the richness and depth of the discipline and its utility in examining social realities.

On the other hand, my time serving as the President of The Assembly, the official organization of Political Science majors in the Ateneo, opened doors to networking with different advocacy groups and stoked my desire for public service.

While I eventually took the conventional track of pursuing law studies, first with a Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Philippines and an advanced Master of Laws degree from the United Nations Interregional Crimes and Justice Research Institute, my Political Science training still serves as my primary analytical lens. The same rings true in my more practical work as a human rights and public interest lawyer, law lecturer and researcher, and resource person for human rights issues in various public engagements.

Ateneo de Manila University’s Political Science program serves as the ideal training ground for future professionals who wish to pursue public service that takes on a critical and deeply analytical bent. The program also equips students with lifelong values and skills to be catalysts for positive social change.