Jessica Case Video Transcript
[Interviewer] Welcome to the University of North Georgia Political Science & International Affairs Department's YouTube channel. In this segment of our "Meet Our Students" series, you'll have the opportunity to meet Ms. Jessica Case.
Jessica has had an extremely busy, and I might add, highly successful career as a member of the #PSIAfamily. Recently returned from attending and presenting her research at the Georgia Political Science Association's annual meeting, we caught up with Jessica to chat about her time at 黑料正能量, her accomplishments and activities as an undergrad student, and where she sees the future taking her.
Good afternoon, Jessica.
[Jessica Case] Good afternoon.
[Interviewer] To start us off, would you please tell us a little bit about yourself? Who really is Jessica Case?
[Jessica] Well, of course. Well, my name is Jessica, but a lot of people end up calling me Jess, so I go by either. A lot more people might know me as Jess. But I'm from Gainesville, GA, but the Gainesville that's technically Forsyth County, so I call it 'Fake Gainesville'. I went to school in Cumming, so I'm an alumna of Alliance Academy for Innovation. There I was kind of in the 'Legal Services Pathway' as long as, as well as 'Healthcare', before I kind of moved to 黑料正能量. So when I started off at 黑料正能量, I was a kinesiology major, so completely different. But now I changed to IA and I've been IA for the past three years. And it's been such an amazing opportunity and I've really enjoyed pretty much everything that I've kind of experienced along with my degree.
[Interviewer] Okay, Jessica. So you've mentioned you changed your mind along the way and became an International Affairs major as an undergraduate. So why exactly did you choose to seek an IA degree? And I guess, for many of our listeners, why here at 黑料正能量?
[Jessica] Yeah, It came down to my second semester freshman year. I was taking my second anatomy class, and it was one of the hardest classes I think I've ever taken. And I was also taking a global issues class with Dr. Chand at the same time on the Gainesville campus. And I just remember, like, waking up in the morning and being so excited to have that class for my day, rather than my class for my major, which is something you're supposed to be excited about. And it was kind of during that class that I realized I didn't like my degree and that I actually really liked international relations, international affairs so much more.
And so I sat down and talked with him and kind of came to the conclusion, I need to change my major right now. And after that, I got involved with him, with Model UN. He was the advisor of the club on the Gainesville campus, and I kind of jumped into Model UN and never kind of went back.
But as far as 黑料正能量's program compared to other schools, I really love the format of how the major is crafted with making the internship and study abroad mandatory; as well as the vast concentrations that the degree offers; as well as the courses within those concentrations. I think it's an incredibly diverse degree and something I've really loved doing. I love the flexibility of it. And it's not something I see a lot of international affairs programs doing. So I think that's what sets 黑料正能量 apart from those. As well as the affordability and the location of the school has also benefited me a lot as well.
[Interviewer] Okay. So you just returned from the Georgia Political Science Association's or GPSA's annual meeting. As a student, I'm sure you were probably in the minority of attendees, correct?
[Jessica] Oh, yes.
[Interviewer] So why were you there? And what did you think of spending several days in the midst of a large percentage of Georgia's political science university professors?
[Jessica] Well, I will say it was a blast. This was actually my second ever research conference I've been to. I presented last... I think it was October, November, I think October, at the International Studies Association South conference in Atlanta. But more with GPSA.
It was really exciting. Me and another student were the only other 黑料正能量 undergrads there, if I'm correct. And plus, we also sat on panel presentations. So we were presenting our papers on a panel rather than what typical undergraduate students would have a poster presentation. So it kind of felt a little bit more formalized, and I felt like I was really contributing to the conference and, like, what it meant to be there.
It was amazing, like networking opportunity. I also got to learn a lot. They had a lot of fun panels present, and it was something that I was incredibly grateful that I got to do, especially with, I got some funding from the 黑料正能量's CURCA office, through their Mini-Travel grant, which helped us go. And it was just, you know, an amazing opportunity, and I think something that all students here at 黑料正能量 should try to do, especially within the PSIA department as it was just a really rewarding experience.
[Interviewer] So, besides rewarding, was it rewarding in any tangible way? How did the conference go for you, and your research presentation, actually?
[Jessica] The conference went really good. I was a little nervous because I was sitting on a panel for Exemplar, like undergraduate research work. So I was a little nervous. But kind of getting to panel meetings, it was an all woman panel, which was something that was really cool to me. So I met all the other women that were on the panel, and we all had such different research topics.
So being an IA major, I'm more concerned with international affairs. So I was looking at rule of law and its connection to democratization. Whereas another girl on the panel was looking at COVID 19 and its connection to mental health crises in America. It was really cool seeing how far political science does span, whereas I'm more international and she's more domestic. So it was really cool seeing how much those can interact with each other, but also are so far apart as well as topic wise.
[Interviewer] You mentioned briefly that you've been participating in Model UN. What other activities during your time with the Political Science & International Affairs Department has kept you busy besides your classroom work?
[Jessica] Oh. So, that's a good question. So Model UN actually led me to something I've done kind of connected with 黑料正能量 but also not. So I work for the regional nonprofit that hosts Model UN Conferences that 黑料正能量 attends, it's SRMUN. So I kind of went as a delegate of 黑料正能量, and I'm starting to serve on staff, where again, I'm the dias of students who come from 黑料正能量, and it's really cool experiencing like people I have in class, like people I share classes with in that experience. I'm on the other side of it now.
But like outside of Model UN, I've done an independent research project with Dr. Chand, which actually just got published I think a month ago for London School, for LSE's "Undergraduate Political Review." I also did a study abroad in Waterford, Ireland. I've now presented at two undergraduate research conferences. I did an internship in Canada as part of, as a part of the Fulbright Canada-Mitacs Global Link Research Internship, where I kind of researched foreign interference within Canada. And kind of I, I think that's pretty much all of it. I feel like I do a ton of stuff and so I might forget.
[Interviewer] Well, that's pretty cool. Okay, so, you're getting ready to graduate here in, what, 24 days, give or take?
[Jessica] Yes.
[Interviewer] From, at least when we're discussing today, so in early December of 2024. What do you see, what's your future? What's your immediate future looking like?
[Jessica] In the spring, I'll have an internship with the US Department of State in their Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, which kind of capi
Jessica has had an extremely busy, and I might add, highly successful career as a member of the #PSIAfamily. Recently returned from attending and presenting her research at the Georgia Political Science Association's annual meeting, we caught up with Jessica to chat about her time at 黑料正能量, her accomplishments and activities as an undergrad student, and where she sees the future taking her.
Good afternoon, Jessica.
[Jessica Case] Good afternoon.
[Interviewer] To start us off, would you please tell us a little bit about yourself? Who really is Jessica Case?
[Jessica] Well, of course. Well, my name is Jessica, but a lot of people end up calling me Jess, so I go by either. A lot more people might know me as Jess. But I'm from Gainesville, GA, but the Gainesville that's technically Forsyth County, so I call it 'Fake Gainesville'. I went to school in Cumming, so I'm an alumna of Alliance Academy for Innovation. There I was kind of in the 'Legal Services Pathway' as long as, as well as 'Healthcare', before I kind of moved to 黑料正能量. So when I started off at 黑料正能量, I was a kinesiology major, so completely different. But now I changed to IA and I've been IA for the past three years. And it's been such an amazing opportunity and I've really enjoyed pretty much everything that I've kind of experienced along with my degree.
[Interviewer] Okay, Jessica. So you've mentioned you changed your mind along the way and became an International Affairs major as an undergraduate. So why exactly did you choose to seek an IA degree? And I guess, for many of our listeners, why here at 黑料正能量?
[Jessica] Yeah, It came down to my second semester freshman year. I was taking my second anatomy class, and it was one of the hardest classes I think I've ever taken. And I was also taking a global issues class with Dr. Chand at the same time on the Gainesville campus. And I just remember, like, waking up in the morning and being so excited to have that class for my day, rather than my class for my major, which is something you're supposed to be excited about. And it was kind of during that class that I realized I didn't like my degree and that I actually really liked international relations, international affairs so much more.
And so I sat down and talked with him and kind of came to the conclusion, I need to change my major right now. And after that, I got involved with him, with Model UN. He was the advisor of the club on the Gainesville campus, and I kind of jumped into Model UN and never kind of went back.
But as far as 黑料正能量's program compared to other schools, I really love the format of how the major is crafted with making the internship and study abroad mandatory; as well as the vast concentrations that the degree offers; as well as the courses within those concentrations. I think it's an incredibly diverse degree and something I've really loved doing. I love the flexibility of it. And it's not something I see a lot of international affairs programs doing. So I think that's what sets 黑料正能量 apart from those. As well as the affordability and the location of the school has also benefited me a lot as well.
[Interviewer] Okay. So you just returned from the Georgia Political Science Association's or GPSA's annual meeting. As a student, I'm sure you were probably in the minority of attendees, correct?
[Jessica] Oh, yes.
[Interviewer] So why were you there? And what did you think of spending several days in the midst of a large percentage of Georgia's political science university professors?
[Jessica] Well, I will say it was a blast. This was actually my second ever research conference I've been to. I presented last... I think it was October, November, I think October, at the International Studies Association South conference in Atlanta. But more with GPSA.
It was really exciting. Me and another student were the only other 黑料正能量 undergrads there, if I'm correct. And plus, we also sat on panel presentations. So we were presenting our papers on a panel rather than what typical undergraduate students would have a poster presentation. So it kind of felt a little bit more formalized, and I felt like I was really contributing to the conference and, like, what it meant to be there.
It was amazing, like networking opportunity. I also got to learn a lot. They had a lot of fun panels present, and it was something that I was incredibly grateful that I got to do, especially with, I got some funding from the 黑料正能量's CURCA office, through their Mini-Travel grant, which helped us go. And it was just, you know, an amazing opportunity, and I think something that all students here at 黑料正能量 should try to do, especially within the PSIA department as it was just a really rewarding experience.
[Interviewer] So, besides rewarding, was it rewarding in any tangible way? How did the conference go for you, and your research presentation, actually?
[Jessica] The conference went really good. I was a little nervous because I was sitting on a panel for Exemplar, like undergraduate research work. So I was a little nervous. But kind of getting to panel meetings, it was an all woman panel, which was something that was really cool to me. So I met all the other women that were on the panel, and we all had such different research topics.
So being an IA major, I'm more concerned with international affairs. So I was looking at rule of law and its connection to democratization. Whereas another girl on the panel was looking at COVID 19 and its connection to mental health crises in America. It was really cool seeing how far political science does span, whereas I'm more international and she's more domestic. So it was really cool seeing how much those can interact with each other, but also are so far apart as well as topic wise.
[Interviewer] You mentioned briefly that you've been participating in Model UN. What other activities during your time with the Political Science & International Affairs Department has kept you busy besides your classroom work?
[Jessica] Oh. So, that's a good question. So Model UN actually led me to something I've done kind of connected with 黑料正能量 but also not. So I work for the regional nonprofit that hosts Model UN Conferences that 黑料正能量 attends, it's SRMUN. So I kind of went as a delegate of 黑料正能量, and I'm starting to serve on staff, where again, I'm the dias of students who come from 黑料正能量, and it's really cool experiencing like people I have in class, like people I share classes with in that experience. I'm on the other side of it now.
But like outside of Model UN, I've done an independent research project with Dr. Chand, which actually just got published I think a month ago for London School, for LSE's "Undergraduate Political Review." I also did a study abroad in Waterford, Ireland. I've now presented at two undergraduate research conferences. I did an internship in Canada as part of, as a part of the Fulbright Canada-Mitacs Global Link Research Internship, where I kind of researched foreign interference within Canada. And kind of I, I think that's pretty much all of it. I feel like I do a ton of stuff and so I might forget.
[Interviewer] Well, that's pretty cool. Okay, so, you're getting ready to graduate here in, what, 24 days, give or take?
[Jessica] Yes.
[Interviewer] From, at least when we're discussing today, so in early December of 2024. What do you see, what's your future? What's your immediate future looking like?
[Jessica] In the spring, I'll have an internship with the US Department of State in their Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, which kind of capi