As a senior, Molly Beal has spent a lot of time reflecting on how her International Studies education has changed her worldview. One takeaway Beal has from her International Security, Norms and Cooperation sub-plan is how crucial mutual cooperation across cultures is to creating change.
“Being a part of the Program in International and Comparative Studies introduced me to the idea of an interconnected world and it made me realize that I was very passionate about bridging cultural gaps with understanding,” Beal said.
Beal said her experience studying abroad for a semester in Paris at SciencesPo was one of the highlights of her time with the Program. By meeting a large group of international students from all over the world, Beal was introduced to a wide variety of new perspectives and now has a global network of friends that she can support and who can support her moving forward.
Beal plans to take a gap year before attending law school. She said her interest in a legal career stemmed from her time in the Program in International and Comparative Studies and her INTLSTD 401 course on human rights.
“In order to make the change I want to make, I want to be able to write it into legislation. I want to empower myself so I can help empower others,” Beal said.
Molly Isolte Beal
BA International Studies (International Security, Norms and Cooperation); minor in Music ‘20
Hometown: Grass Lake, MI
Affiliations: (g)imble a cappella
Future plans: “I plan on finding work as a legal intern in Detroit for a year before attending Law School”
Fondest memory of her experience in PICS: “Being a part of the Program in International and Comparative Studies encouraged me to study abroad. I spent a semester in Paris studying at SciencesPo and met some of the most intelligent and interesting people from all over the world. I now have a global network of friends and peers who are pursuing amazing things. It was inspiring and pushed me towards studying international law after graduation.”
Is there anything you would like to express to your peers, parents, professors, or others?:
“Thank you for creating and contributing to such a wonderful program. Learning and growing with all of you has been life-changing.”
