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Miranda Romine

Dr. Mortenson

Honors PS 1010

26 April 2017

Project Reflection

The project in PS 1010 was based on solving a problem in Detroit using institutions and

agency covered in the political science portion of the lecture. At first I was very turned away

from the concept of the project due mostly to the fact that it was a group effort. Working with a

group of people over the course of a semester has really opened my eyes to different views and

opinions on how to solve issues and political beliefs. Working with the same individuals have

allowed me to make lasting connections with other students in the honors college and at Wayne

State in general, these connections can help to farther my education and understanding of the

world around me. I was surprised to learn that I had many things in common with my group

mates, and that group work is not always bad, because these particular individuals all took their

portion of the work seriously. For this project, my group and I focused on the issue of low

advancement to students, especially minorities, into STEM based jobs. The most surprising thing

about this problem is that STEM jobs are being created at an extreme rate, and the rate of people

in which apply to STEM majors is just as high, that there is still a lack of adequately educated

people going into these types of fields. As of today, we have officially created an organization at

Wayne State to solve the problem we have chosen, and I intend on continuing this program until

I graduate.
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I have learned a lot of skills through this course that I can apply to daily life such as the

ability to work effectively with people that I did not already know on a personal or individual

level. I will also take away the skills of extreme critical thinking on a political, social, and

economical levels. Not only has this course taught me to think about public opinion, but the

feasibility of certain policy at not only the government level, but all spheres of influence that

affect the lives of all Americans. This introduction to the issue on different social and political

aspects has lead me to view other things and subjects in new perspectives. This change in

perspective is not only on the issue, which I originally thought was a lot less intense, but all

issues on the political spectrum. This project and the course has changed how I view the way in

which government is run, and how legislation is passed. Most political science classes talk about

how government is set up, whereas this class explain the how this set up effects the way laws and

agencies are passed and implemented. I believe that this class has given the tools to be able to

actively participate in the political sphere and help to achieve the goals of groups and

organizations such as the one we worked on in our project. It has taught me that there is a lot

more to solving a problem than volunteering at nonprofits or NGOs, and that a real difference

can be made by using advocacy. Not only did this class teach me to reach for solutions that have

never been thought of before, but lead me to the conclusion that solutions can work or be

excepted differently in different sectors. I also found that public opinion is just as important to

passing policy as the legitimacy of the proposed solution. This course has given me the stepping

stones to create and be a part of something bigger than myself, and actually make a difference in

my community. I hope to continue helping and support organizations like the one proposed by

my group and to maintain an active rule in the political sphere, because every person can make a

difference.
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