This summer, the American Political Science Association partnered with Montgomery County Public School (MCPS) District’s Summer Rise Program to offer three high school students the opportunity to gain experience in political science knowledge production and higher education non-profits.
Summer RISE (Reimagining an Innovative Student Experience) is an initiative led by the MCPS’s Department of Partnerships in collaboration with businesses, government agencies, higher education institutions, and nonprofit organizations.
The program is for rising MCPS juniors and seniors to participate in a career-based learning opportunity during the summer. Students will have the opportunity to engage in hands-on learning opportunities related to their field of interest.For five weeks over the summer, APSA’s Publishing Program introduced our three high school students to the wide variety of programs APSA leads and provided them the hands-on experience of academic editing and publishing process by assisting with the production of Political Science Today, volume 4, issue 3.
The students helped research and re-fresh APSA Educate’s Teaching the Russia-Ukriance War Resource Collection. They also talked to APSA Educate about their passion for civic education, social justice, scholarly analysis, and interest in studying political science at the undergraduate level.
APSA’s 2024 Summer Rise Cohort and their Interviews
Amelia Goettsch is a rising-senior at Poolesville High School in Maryland.
At Poolesville High School, I am a part of the humanities magnet program where I am supported as I study my interests in political science, writing, editing, and history. I participate in clubs like Model UN and Peace Makers and Problem Solvers with the Marshall Legacy Institute. I am also a three-sport athlete where I do soccer, swimming, and track each season. Some of my favorite classes that I’ve taken are AP American History and AP Government.
Read her interview discussing her experience with civic education and civic engagement
Mahlet Ayele is a rising senior at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School
I have lived in Bethesda, MD for much of my life, but I was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I am an avid debater on my school team, volunteer with a local social justice non-profit, and am a part of my school’s National Honors Society. I am in the full IB diploma program at my school, and wrote my capstone extended essay on Ethiopian political history. My favorite courses this past year were IB Literature and Language, IB History, AP Comparative Government and Politics, and IB Theory of Knowledge. In my free time, I enjoy thrifting with friends, reading contemporary fiction, and listening to music. I have a cat named Cherry who, counterintuitively, does not have orange fur.
Read her interview discussing her experience with civic education and civic engagement
Lydia Orgen is a rising senior at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, Maryland.
I love history, English, and humanities classes, some favorites being AP English Language and Composition, AP Psychology, AP US History, and Creative Writing. I plan on pursuing linguistics, history, and political science in college. I am involved in speech and debate, journalism, set-building for theater productions, and social justice initiatives at my school. I also participate in environmental restoration and activism for the nonprofit Planting Shade. Some hobbies I enjoy include reading, baking, hiking, and playing ukulele. I feel privileged to have grown up so close to Washington, DC, and I love visiting the numerous museums, galleries, and other cultural and historical sites.
Read her interview discussing her experience with civic education and civic engagement