Attending College in D.C. Meant Opportunities. Now it Means Opening Up Transfer Portals.
AUBREY BUTTERFIELD: For students wanting a career in politics, studying in the capital is the obvious choice. With limitless chances for new experiences such as internships and networking, new political science students in Washington are thrilled to begin their academic journey.
“What drew me to American was that the School of Public Affairs is very highly ranked,” said Ash Brophy, a freshman at American University studying political science. “I think it's the best school in D.C. for it. The internship opportunities here, and the fact that we're in Washington, D.C. is what drew me.”
Then Donald Trump won the presidential election.
“I cried. I refused to get out of bed, maybe that's dramatic,” said Georgetown University freshman Delaney Nelson, who plans on majoring in government. “I texted my dad like, ‘I don't know what to do.’”
A perk of a Washington education is witnessing history live. For students at Howard University, the results weren’t the history they were hoping for.
Students from the D.C. area watch at Howard University as results of the 2024 Presidential Election are updated live. Photo courtesy of Vera Peng.
“There was a sense of dread for a good week, there was a lot of confusion, it wasn't very vibrant,” said Chelsea Osei, a freshman political science student at Howard University. “[We] feel a lot of the effects way more closely because you're right there. [Democratic nominee Kamala Harris] was right there, and she's an alumna.”
As the country prepares for this transition, another change is on students' minds. Many are asking themselves if they still want to pursue politics.
“Honestly when [the election results] came out, I was like maybe I am in the wrong spot,” said Nelson. “I had a life crisis.”
Formerly passionate students are now unsure if the current state of politics in America is for them.
“Prior to the election, it was definitely empowering to be a political science student, especially at Howard,” said Osei. “After the election I was more hesitant to go into policy because I saw how qualified she was and how little she got.”
Some political science majors are finding new, less polarized paths to serve the public within the field. Subsects of policy like education and medicine have appealed to young minds traversing through the major.
“The election actually showed me how much I really want to go into medical law with the integration of policy, because I see so many black women dying at the hands of an unjust system,” said Osei.
Others have found some unexpected upsides.
“[The election] has sort of made me more interested [in politics],” said Brophy. “It kind of drew me in more with reading everything about it.”
Anticipating the president-elect’s move back to the White House, students are hesitant about their new neighbor.
“I was like, ‘I'm gonna transfer, I'm gonna drop out,’” said Vera Peng, an undecided freshman at George Washington University considering political science and sociology. “People around me were saying that because we’re right next to the White House. The whole thing was like, ‘Oh, Donald Trump's gonna be your neighbor now.’”
For left-leaning students passionate about politics, the Washington dream is now a nightmare.
“I’m very far from home and I feel like I just want my family if things go south,” said Nelson. “I just don't know if I want to be in D.C. anymore.”
Some students have considered transferring.
“First reaction definitely was like, ‘I want to get out of here,’” said Peng.
Others—like students on governmental financial aid—don’t have the privilege of leaving by choice.
“2016 through 2020 [Trump] didn't fund the White House Initiative for historically Black colleges and universities. Without that federal help…and if his plans towards the Department of Education carry out, I most likely won't attend Howard next year,” said Osei. “That is quite devastating for me, because I do love it here.”
Chelsea Osei (left) and a fellow Howard student spend election night at Howard University. Democratic nominee and alumna Kamala Harris also spent election night at Howard. Photo courtesy of Chelsea Osei.
Donald Trump’s election will define the “college experience” for current students–all of whom will graduate under his presidency. Regardless of major or university, students in Washington expect to feel his presence most.
“I think everything will be a lot more hostile honestly. The Nazi marches around the country, that doesn't end under Trump, that only gets worse,” said Nelson. “I just see the social scene getting a lot more volatile.”
A figure notorious for dominating the news cycle, political science majors in Washington are seemingly avoiding the president-elect and his posse at all costs. For many, this means abandoning coveted career opportunities.
“I'm definitely not looking at White House internships anymore,” said Peng.
Re-examining internships has begun to go beyond the executive branch, considering the sweep of Congress by Republicans in November.
“I was going to apply for a White House internship before the election happened. That's changed,” said Brophy. “I'm probably not gonna work for my local congressman anymore.
He's like a moderate Republican from New Jersey.”
In the wake of uncertainty, Washington is ready to resume the city’s history of protest.
Georgetown student Delaney Nelson (left) and friends attend Vice President Kamala Harris’s D.C. rally. Photo courtesy of Delaney Nelson.
“I think activism is going to have to be bigger than ever. Like in front of the Supreme Court, those are the photos you see from all major historical wins,” said Nelson. “People are out there, and at the end of the day that's what’s going to fix it.”
Despite their personal doubts about the district or their degrees, students don’t plan on staying quiet during Trump’s administration.
“We’re definitely going to get a bunch more protests. And I see myself participating more, especially about First Amendment rights,” said Peng.
Though the results of the 2024 election were less than favorable for many new Washingtonians in the political science sect, their spark for creating impact has not lost the popular vote.
“I'm getting a little bit more serious,” said Osei. “I think people are rolling up their sleeves. I'm rolling up my sleeves.”
Aubrey Butterfield (she/her) is a staff writer for On The Record. She is a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences currently undeclared, interested in studying Government and Journalism. She is originally from Southgate, Michigan.