Aug. 6, 2019
"There is Room for Hispanics" who are Heading for Politics or Law Careers
Central Washington University (CWU) in Ellensburg directs its efforts toward diversity, says Dr. Barbara del Mar Robles, academic counselor and recruiter in the Departments of Political Science, Law and Justice.
Robles says it is important "that students feel supported and motivated to pursue careers in politics, law and justice. We want you to know that there is room for Hispanics in this university, that there is room for us in this country and in this society."
For Robles, who is bilingual and serves applicants and students in the faculties in which she works, it is critical that students know that CWU encourages inclusion."We have received awards for being one of the most diverse universities in the entire state of Washington, since we have a group of students, faculty and diverse administrative staff that helps stimulate respect, tolerance, innovation and the promotion of new ideas and this cultural mission is certainly possible thanks to diversity," she said.
Although generally, the trend of educational institutions and universities is to move towards exact science careers that offer good employment opportunities, political science and law professions are in demand in the workplace.
Political science career, for example, offers a wide range of job opportunities in addition to access to government positions. Students can pursue careers as public policy analysts, public relations specialists, legislative assistants, lawyers, professors. Some students combine political science careers with other specialties such as Spanish, psychology, anthropology or sociology allowing them to expand their field of work.
Within law and justice careers, most students seek to join the police or one of the armed forces, such as the ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) program, however, there are also students who wish to become lawyers, get involved in politics and perform some public service in the country.
"The Political Science, Law and Justice departments have scholarships, internship programs and out-of-classroom experiences, such as Senate visits at Olympia, with police in Ellensburg, group talks with the prosecutor and many clubs that allow students to learn and interact in a different way with professors," Robles said.
"The United Nations club was just opened, where students will be able to present arguments and defend basic rights to the problems of their home countries, almost simulating a United Nations meeting. They will have the opportunity to travel to an international competition in November of 2020 that will be held in Japan," she said.
All resources are available to the student community, and Robles wants Hispanic students or prospective students who intend to pursue that career "to know and take advantage of it. We are here at the University to guide and support them," he said.
To enter the political science degree, applicants do not require specific pre- requisites, they just need to have their high school diploma and meet the entry requirements.
To study the law and justice profession, stakeholders must have an average of 2.25 to be admitted and maintain an average of C- or higher to graduate. And also meet other pre-requisites before you enrollment.
If you would like to learn more about what it takes to enter into these careers, please contact 509-963-2349.
Pictured above: Dr. Barbara del Mar Robles helps student Aubrey Blair choose courses offered in the Department of Political Science for the new school year on July 29.
This article was originally published in Spanish online at La Luz del Valle El Sol de Yakima.