PSP Summer 2022

FOREWORD
SPECIAL ISSUE
The BYU Political Science graduating
class of 2022 spent nearly half of their
undergraduate education within the
shadow of a global pandemic. During
the last semester of their undergraduate
education, a war broke out in the
Ukraine with global political and economic
implications. The study of politics
has never been more relevant. The
year 2022 moving forward is a time
when we all need to be increasingly
sensitive to the world around us, both
locally and internationally, and the
Political Science Department hopes to
have nurtured skills that will serve our
students in an increasingly challenging
and complex global community. Problems
need to be solved, people need to
be understood, different perspectives
need to be acknowledged. Our students
are ready for the challenges ahead, and
we want to acknowledge, herein, some
of their accomplishments and plans
for the future. We congratulate all of
our students on a job well done, and
we hope they will keep in touch with
us. We’re here to help, not just for a
semester, or just for an undergraduate
education, but for a lifetime of intellectual
support. Congratulations to our
Political Science graduates for 2022!
The Political Science Department

CONTENTS
GRADUATION 2022 EDITION
FOREWORD 1
ACADEMIC AWARDS 4
GRADUATING WITH DEPARTMENT
DISTINCTION 5
SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS 7
PROFESSOR OF THE YEAR 15
SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENTS 16
STUDENT SPOTLIGHTS 24
GRADUATES 28
CLOSING REMARKS 29
Publisher:
Jay Goodliffe, Chair
Editor:
J. Matthew Clarke
Assistant Editor:
Krista Mortensen
Graphic Designers:
Seraphina Johnstun
Abby Meyers
2

Kesley Townsend, Valedictorian
Kesley Brooke Townsend, a political
science major with a political strategy
emphasis and minors in history and
sociology, is the oldest child of John
and Cindy Powell. She was raised in
Richland, Washington, and developed
a passion for U.S. political history at
a young age. During her time at BYU,
she conducted original research as a
research fellow with the Center for
the Study of Elections and Democracy
and worked as a research assistant for
Professors Goodliffe, Preece, Pope, and
Argyle. Kesley interned at TargetPoint
Consulting while participating in the
Washington Seminar program and worked as a political strategy advisor on a U.S. senate campaign. She
was president of the BYU Women in Politics organization and a writer for the Political Review. Kesley
will begin a research fellowship at TargetPoint Consulting this summer and looks forward to pursuing a
Ph.D. in political science in 2023. She is incredibly grateful for the mentorship provided by BYU faculty
and the continued support of her family and friends.
ACADEMIC
AWARDS
VALEDICTORIAN
SALUTATORIAN
Rolle Rantaniemi, Salutatorian
Rolle Rantaniemi, a political science major, comes
from the city of Espoo in Finland. Before moving
to the United States, he spent a year serving his
country in the Finnish army and then two years
serving his church as a missionary in Greece and
Cyprus. At BYU, he was able to overcome the
challenges of studying, researching, and writing in
a foreign language. He worked on two occasions
as a Teacher’s Assistant for two Political Science
professors he greatly admired. The support from
his family in Finland kept pushing him to succeed,
for which he is Immensely grateful. He would like
to thank all his professors and the Political Science
department for their support and help throughout
his college years as well as his classmates whose
help in group studies was invaluable. After graduating, he has moved back to Finland to continue his
studies in law school with hopes of working in international law and helping to create a more peaceful
future in Europe.
Lauren Allen Warner, Salutatorian
Lauren Allen Warner, a political science major,
is the second of three children born to Randy
and Ann Marie Allen and was raised in Cedar
City, Utah. Her parents, who have both worked
as attorneys, helped to plant seeds to encourage
learning and service at a young age. She grew up
studying music and the arts, but upon returning
home from serving as a US Senate Page in
Washington, D.C., and watching her mother
accept a District Court Judgeship, she decided to
pursue law. She served a mission in Hong Kong and witnessed political unrest that affirmed to her the
importance of fundamental freedoms. Her courses, work as a research assistant, and experience at the
Attorney General’s and the Utah Governor’s offices have given her the skills necessary to enter the J.
Rueben Clark law school this fall. She enjoys being outdoors with her loved ones, and would like to
thank her husband, parents, and siblings for being the best teammates one could ask for.
4

GRADUATING WITH
DEPARTMENTAL DISTINCTION
Grant Baldwin Jessica Dofelmire Landon Evans Madelyn Jacobsen
Kaity Marquis Logan Marx McKell McIntyre Tommy Nanto
Aurea Orencia Colton Osguthorpe Elizabeth Patterson Zeke Peters
Jeremy Pratt Jonathan Rosenbalm Bonnie Stewart Lindsey Walker
5
Rebecca Wright

FOR 2022-23
2022 G. Kevin Jones
Scholarship Recipient
2022 G. Kevin Jones
Scholarship Recipient
2022 G. Kevin Jones
Scholarship Recipient
SCHOLARSHIP
AWARDS
ANNA DAVIS
Anna is a Junior with two
semesters left at BYU.
Since competing in debate
in high school, she has
loved studying politics and
philosophy. She is from
Dallas, Texas and is excited
to meet anyone else here in
Utah with a connection to
Texas.
Aside from loving politics,
Anna also loved music
and art. She is writing a
webcomic and has published
music on Spotify as well.
Of all the jobs she’s had,
her favorite has been
being a TA for POLI 200.
She hopes to enter a PhD
program after graduation
to become a professor of
the same caliber she has
come to know at BYU. She
is so grateful for all she has
learned and gained at BYU.
MEGAN BAIRD
Megan is a junior studying
Political Science at BYU,
with minors in Global Women’s
Studies and Art History.
She loves art museums,
eating tacos, and searching
for wildflowers. Currently,
she serves as an officer
in the Political Affairs Society
and is the incoming
president of the Women
in Politics Club. Megan is a
writer for the BYU Political
Review and a research assistant
for Darren Hawkins,
which has definitely been
her favorite job.
She hopes to figure out
her constantly changing
post-grad plans and decide
whether to go to law school
or get a Ph.D, but either
way she has many years of
school ahead. She enjoys
making colorful regression
tables in Stata and writing
witty titles for research
papers, which she spends
too much time coming up
with.
JOSHUA HERRERA
Joshua Herrera was born
and raised in West Boylston,
Massachusetts and served
a mission in Calgary,
Canada. He gained an
interest in political science
when he attended his first
ever BYU class: American
Heritage. Years later, he
gained an appreciation for
the political process while
interning for Representative
Christofferson during the
Utah State Legislature’s
2022 session.
Josh owes an un-payable
debt of gratitude to his
wife Mandy, his family,
and to professors Patterson
and Karpowitz. He is also
grateful for the generosity
of Dr. G. Kevin Jones
and the political science
department as a whole.
7

2022 Brent Taylor
Scholarship Recipient
2022 Brent Taylor
Scholarship Recipient
2022 Brent Taylor
Scholarship Recipient
SCHOLARHSIP
AWARDS
SETH RIRIE
Seth Ririe is currently
studying political science
at BYU with minors in
art history, non-profit
management, and political
research and data analysis.
After receiving his
undergraduate degree,
Seth hopes to pursue a
master’s degree in data
analysis for public policy
and then go on to assist
social impact organizations
using proper data collection
and organization.
In his free time, Seth
enjoys attending art
museums, writing poetry,
or analyzing films with his
wife and friends.
COLE CHRISTIANSEN
Cole is a senior at BYU
studying Political Science
with a second major in
Spanish. Cole grew up on a
ranch in Oklahoma, where
he began to love working
with livestock. He has a
passion for the outdoors,
seeing new things, and
enjoys participating in many
sports. Cole served a mission
in Barcelona, Spain, where
he learned Spanish and was
able to meet people from all
over the world.
He grew up in the small
town of Piedmont,
Oklahoma, where he plans
to be politically active after
graduating from BYU.
Some of the most important
things to Cole are his family,
the Gospel, his country, and
helping those around him.
ANDERS JENSEN
Anders is entering his
senior year at BYU where
he is completing a double
major in Political Science
and German. His favorite
part of studying Political
Science is learning about the
different configurations of
government institutions and
what impact that has on a
country socioeconomically.
After finishing his
undergraduate education,
Anders is planning on
working somewhere in
government and eventually
getting a master’s degree
in political science or
international affairs. Anders
served a mission in the
Alpine German-speaking
Mission from 2017-2019
spending time in cities like
Vienna, Munich, and Zurich.
Anders also enjoys spending
time with his wife and other
family members, playing
soccer, and studying various
world cultures.
FOR 2022-23
8

FOR 2022-23
2022 Noel and Sydney
Reynolds Scholar
2022 Noel and Sydney
Reynolds Scholar
SCHOLARHSIP
AWARDS
AMON O’CONNELL
Amon O’Connell is a Political
Science Major with an
emphasis in legal studies. He
grew up in Des Moines, Iowa,
and is the oldest of three
brothers. Amon enjoys rock
climbing, playing soccer, and
cooking.
After BYU, he hopes he can
go to a prestigious law school
and practice law. With a law
degree, he will attempt to
be a successful attorney and
one day a federal judge.
Throughout all of this, he
wants to continue to learn
how to create amazing food
and take cooking classes
across the world.
SUZY YI
Suzy is a Political Science
student going into her
senior year with a minor
in Philosophy. She is from
Colorado Springs, Colorado
and is the second of four
children. Suzy enjoys golfing,
hiking, baking technical
desserts, and reading selfhelp
books. She also served a
mission in Korea and met her
husband in the MTC.
She is currently a research
assistant studying race and
ethnicity between elected
officials and constituents.
She has also done research on
immigration and assimilation.
Suzy is in the Honors Program
and is currently writing her
thesis on Asian American
political participation. Suzy
interned at the South Dakota
State Attorney’s Office last
summer. After graduating,
she plans to attend law school.
9

2022 Noel and Sydney
Reynolds Scholar
2022 Noel and Sydney
Reynolds Scholar
SCHOLARHSIP
AWARDS
ISAAC LAMOREAUX
BRINLEY KOENIG
FOR 2022-23
Isaac is entering his senior year
as a Political Science major and
a Political Strategy minor. Isaac
grew up overseas in Slovenia,
Bangladesh, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, and the Republic
of Georgia. He graduated in
2020 in Falls Church, Virginia
where he calls home while
stateside.
Isaac loves meeting new people,
hiking, biking, and kayaking
when time allows him to.
Isaac has participated in three
campaigns, been an officer for
BYU’s Political Affairs Society,
and has been a summer intern
for Pew Research Center. He
hopes to either go into law or
data analytics in the future.
Brinley was raised in Fort
Worth, Texas, and is the second
oldest of four children. She
is a junior studying Political
Science with minors in Business
and Political Strategy. During
the winter semester, she
participated in the Washington
Seminar where she interned
with the Heritage Foundation
while living in Washington,
DC. In the future, Brinley
plans to go to law school and
return to Washington, DC, to
work in politics.
In her free time, she enjoys
being outdoors, spending
time with her friends and
family, and listening to
podcasts. She is grateful for
the many opportunities her
BYU education has granted
her and is excited to continue
learning about the subjects
she is passionate about as she
completes her degree.
10

FOR 2022-23
2022 Stan Taylor
Scholarship Recipient
2022 Stan Taylor
Scholarship Recipient
SCHOLARSHIP
AWARDS
JOSH JARVIS
Josh Jarvis grew up in
Bentonville, Arkansas. After
graduating high school, he
served as a full-time missionary
in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Upon
returning from his mission, he
was lucky enough to marry the
love of his life, Logan.
Josh is currently studying
political science at Brigham
Young University and hopes
to attend law school after
graduation. He enjoys traveling,
rock climbing, and spending
time with his wife.
MEGAN TANNER
Megan is a junior at BYU
studying political science with
a minor in East Asian studies.
She grew up near Chicago
and attended high school
in Phoenix. Megan served a
mission in the El Salvador San
Salvador West/Belize Mission
as well as the North Carolina
Raleigh Mission. She spent three
months in Southeast Asia prior
to her mission participating in
mentored research and plans
to spend a month this summer
researching in Morocco and
Spain.
She has competed with Model
United Nations in Washington
D.C. and New York City, and
her team won the outstanding
award in both instances. Megan
loves the outdoors, enjoys
volunteering in her community,
and values her relationships
with her family and friends as
her greatest achievements. She
hopes to attend law school postgraduation.
11

2022 Stan Taylor
Scholarship Recipient
2022 Stan Taylor
Scholarship Recipient
SCHOLARSHIP
AWARDS
RUSSEL ANDERSON
Russel Anderson was born and
raised in Springville, Utah, the
third of four kids. He has always
been part of a tiny minority
who enjoys doing homework, a
superpower that enabled him
to graduate from high school a
year early. He served a Chinesespeaking
mission in Washington
DC starting right at age 18, then
returned to Springville to work
through a physics major at BYU.
His original goal was to end up
in atmospheric science, but after
some experience studying climate
change issues, he became convinced
that a grounding in political
science is just as necessary. He
now balances a double major in
both fields with a math research
job and hobbies of writing,
researching, and game design, and
he hopes that some of these things
will lead to graduate school and a
professorship someday. Otherwise,
his most lofty goal is to enjoy the
weather when it’s sunny and to
soldier through it when it’s not.
KYLE RANDALL
Kyle Randall grew up living in
Oceanside, California before
eventually moving to Highland,
Utah. Last year, he married
his wife and they are happily
moving through life together
here in Provo. Kyle is a Senior
and intends to go to BYU Law
School after graduating. He
currently works at the MTC, is
passionate about the defense of
religious freedom, and intends
to defend it as a lawyer in the
future. Outside of school and
work, he loves to bike, swim, ski,
run, and read.
FOR 2022-23
12

FOR 2022-23
2022 Wade Jacoby
Scholarship Recipient
2022 Wade Jacoby
Scholarship Recipient
SCHOLARSHIP
AWARDS
ALIX HESS
Alix is a senior at BYU studying
Political Science with minors in
Business and International Strategy
and Diplomacy. In the past year, she
has been involved as a BYU Blue
Out Day organizer, SIGMA academic
journal editor, FSSO and Phi Eta
Sigma member, and Director of
Outreach and Communications for
Sigma Iota Rho. She has been most
involved with the Model United
Nations (MUN) program, where she
mentored teammates in her role as a
TA, earned awards for her work in
two National Model UN conferences,
and served as Secretary General for
the 32nd Annual High School Model
UN Conference hosted by BYU.
She recently completed a Management
Consulting Internship with Cougar
Consulting Group at the Marriott
School and is currently interning with
International Business Government
Counsellors, Inc. in Washington, D.C.
as part of her Washington Seminar
experience. She is incredibly grateful
for the support she has received
along the way. Her time at BYU has
taught her to be wise as a serpent,
harmless as a dove, and to always
lead with kindness.
JENNY PORTILLO
Jenny was born and raised
in Boulder, Colorado by her
immigrant Mexican parents. As a
first-generation student at BYU,
she is studying political science with
an emphasis in legal studies, and
she is minoring in global women’s
studies. Jenny is very passionate
about civil rights and immigrant
issues. Upon graduation, she
plans on pursuing law school
and eventually becoming an
immigration attorney.
She has participated in five
internships while at BYU: one with
the Becky Edwards Campaign, one
with Nomas Legal, another with
Contigo Law, another with the
Utah Center for Legal Inclusion,
and a final one with Mormon
Women for Ethical Government.
She aspires to help represent
marginalized communities in legal
matters. In her free time, Jenny
enjoys spending time with her
family, playing soccer, cooking
traditional Mexican dishes, and
listening to music.
13

PROFESSOR OF THE YEAR
Professor Darren Hawkins
Darren Hawkins with Megan Baird. who presented him the award of Professor of the Year at the Annual BYU PAS Banquet at the Hinckley Building on Friday, April 1, 2022.
Each year, we use a survey of political science students to choose an exemplary teacher and mentor for us undergraduates
from among the department faculty. Of course, it is a perfectly representative sample.
Students who nominated tonight’s Professor of the Year consistently mentioned his ability to encourage class
participation, give students incredible learning opportunities and inspire students to stand up for the good in the world.
As a teacher for 200, he has encouraged many students to continue the Poli Sci program and has drilled in an
unforgettable knowledge of Turabian citations. His participation GPL has inspired many students to pursue their own
research projects, which he is always willing to help with.
One student commented, “I love this professor because of his open-mindedness and deep love for other people. He
seeks to understand and assist others while helping them to feel understood and appreciated.” Another mentioned that
he is “incredible; he challenges every student to think deeper.”
This professor has also been particularly important to me as a mentor and friend, even if we disagree on the best
female singer-songwriters.
The Political Affairs Society is excited to award 2022 Professor of the Year to Darren Hawkins.
15
Congratulations, Professor Hawkins!
Presented by Megan Baird.

SPECIAL
ACHIEVEMENTS
PI SIGMA ALPHA INDUCTEES
Left to Right: Madi Schlesinger, Joshua Herrera, Tayla Ingles, William Livingston, Amy Kurtzweil, Jackson Berthold, Aurea Orencia, McKenzie Griffeth, Elle Diether, Lindsey Walker,
Bryan Habashi, and Grace Theobald. Not pictured: Emeline Benson, Megan Baird, Noah Bouton, Landon Hooley, David Clove, Amie Dastrup, Jessica Dofelmire, Zachary Phillip.
Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society, is the only honor society for college and
university students of political and social sciences in the United States. Its purpose is to recognize and
promote high academic achievement in the field of political science. It is a member of the Association
of College Honor Societies (ACHS) and adheres to all the standards set by ACHS for an upper-division,
specialized honor society. Pi Sigma Alpha is not a social fraternity or club.
Megan Baird
All recipients: Congratulations to all!
Jessica Dofelmire
William Livingston
Emeline Benson
Jackson Berthold
Noah Bouton
David Clove
Amie Dastrup
Elle Diether
McKenzie Griffeth
Bryan Habashi
Joshua Herrera
Landon Hooley
Tayla Ingles
Amy Kurtzweil
Aurea Orencia
Zachary Phillips
Madi Schlesinger
Grace Theobald
Lindsey Walker
16

2022 PAS AWARDS BANQUET April 1, 2022
SPECIAL
ACHIEVEMENTS
2022 PAS AWARDS BANQUET
Top Left: Abby Woodfield offering her final remarks as President of BYU PAS Student Chapter.
Top Right: Kesley Townsend, with Chair Jay Goodliffe, receiving her certificate for Valedictorian.
Bottom: The 2022 BYU PAS Awards Banquet participants.
17

1st Place Winner,
G. Kevin Jones Writing
Award
2nd Place Winner,
G. Kevin Jones Writing
Award
3rd Place Winner,
G. Kevin Jones Writing
Award
SPECIAL
ACHIEVEMENTS
ANNE GOLD
“Covid-19 Isolation
Mandates Decrease Out-
Group Hostility in the
Middle East North Africa
Region” ($1000)
Annie is a graduating senior
majoring in Middle Eastern
Studies & Arabic with a minor
in Anthropology. During
her time at BYU, Annie has
worked as a coder for the
WomanStats Project, a research
& teaching assistant in
the Political Science department,
a staff writer for the
BYU Political Review, and
the president of BYU MESAS.
She is particularly fascinated
by political psychology and
how to decrease hostility towards
minorities in high-conflict
regions.
After graduating in 2022, Annie
will start a job in management
consulting with hopes
to attend graduate school &
work in public service down
the road. Her hobbies include
skiing, hiking, exploring new
cultures, and completing the
New York Times crossword
puzzles.
Honorable Mentions published in Sigma
($100 each):
Tommy Nanto •Grant Baldwin
Drew Horne •Davis Forster
EMILY QUAN
“Censorship Sensing:
The Capabilities and
Implications of China’s
Great Firewall Under Xi
Jinping” ($750)
Emily is a junior majoring in
computer engineering with
a minor in computer science
from Virginia. She served in
the Ulaanbaatar Mongolia and
Salt Lake City Utah missions.
As a research assistant for the
Network Embedded Technologies
Lab, she has worked on
air quality research for Mongolian
yurts and is currently
working on sensor resiliency
for citizen science data collection.
Emily is also an officer
in BYU’s Society of Women
Engineers club and a member
of the BYU Honors Program.
Her experience living in Beijing
and Hong Kong has led
her to study the implications
of Internet censorship for international
relations and cyberspace
norms. She hopes to
work on strengthening our
nation’s cyber policy regarding
East Asia in the future.
When she is not working with
1s and 0s, Emily enjoys mentoring
students in her home
community in math and reading,
working as a BYU ballet
piano accompanist, and spending
time with her rabbit, Bunnalicious.
BLAKE WEST
“Party Institutionalization and
Public Confidence” ($500)
Blake is a Junior at BYU currently
majoring in Political Science
and minoring in Legal Studies,
Communications, and Political
Research and Data Analysis.
Born in Macon, Georgia with
a single-ventricle heart, he was
diagnosed with Complex Congenital
Heart Disease and underwent
several palliative surgeries.
In spite of this medical setback,
Blake has been able to accomplish
many of his goals such
as attaining the rank of Eagle
Scout in the Boy Scouts of America,
becoming part of the leadership
in his high school marching
band, and serving a mission for
the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints. After graduating,
Blake plans on going into
graduate school to earn either a
Masters of Public Administration
and/or a Masters of Public Policy.
Blake has always been interested
in subjects like history and
politics and often spends his
free time researching national
and international politics. When
Blake is not doing that or any
other work for school, he is typically
spending time with friends,
eating good food, or playing
strategy games.
G. KEVIN JONES SIGMA
WRITING AWARD WINNERS
18

SIGMA ACHIEVEMENTS
Sigma Editors 2022-2023
The leadership team for Sigma 2022-23 is:
Editor in Chief: Marissa (Gerber) Pinnock
Managing Editor: Elle Diether
Lead Editor: Amelia Watterson
Each Sigma leader will be receiving a $500 leadership stipend in Fall and Winter.
SPECIAL
ACHIEVEMENTS
In 2022, 16 new items were added to the Sigma journal and 13,645 items were downloaded.
Articles in the journal were downloaded by readers at 1,040 institutions and in 149 countries.
“The Effect of Making Election Day a Holiday: An Original Survey and a Case Study of
French Presidential Elections Applied to the U.S. Voting System,” written by Caitlyn Bradfield
and Paul Johnson, was the most popular paper of the year with 1,564 downloads.
To read the paper, click here: https://tinyurl.com/5fhwr6ua
Political Review Leaders, 2022-23
Haeley Christensen
Editor in Chief
Megan Baird
Publisher
Thank you to the outgoing Editors, Publisher and Staff:
Kaity Marquis, Haeley Christensen, et al.
19

BYU College Democrats Leadership, 2022-23
Amy Kurtzweil
President
Executives for College Democrats:
Sofia Maia — Debate Coordinator
Emma Moore — Event Planner
Kate Koger — Graphic Design Lead/Social Media
Macey Chatterton — Graphic Design Assistant/Social Media
Kate Moore — Community Outreach
Hubert Kim — Coordination Lead
SPECIAL
ACHIEVEMENTS
BYU COLLEGE REPUBLICANS AND
DEMOCRATS LEADERS. 2022-23
BYU College Republicans Leadership, 2022-23
Executives for College Republicans:
Isaac Grow
President
Alvin Guo — Vice President
Joseph Flake — Secretary
Quincy Azimi-Tarizi — Executive Director
Lauren Palmer — Director of Outreach
Thanks to the outgoing executives:
President Joseph Flake; Vice President Isaac Grow ; Secretary
Melesisi Pauu; Executive Director Quincy Azimi-Tabrizi; Director
of Outreach Taya Tobler
20

OTHER POSITIONS AND
AWARDS
SPECIAL
ACHIEVEMENTS
OTHER AWARDS
Global Politics Fellows: 2022-23
AnneMarie Ackerman
Madison Anderson
Brendan Armstrong
Megan Baird
Julia Chatterly
JT Gardner
Hunter Huillet
Tayla Ingles
Brenna Johnson
Zachary Knudson
Grant Mitchell
Brynn Morse
Paige Osguthorpe
Morgan Rushforth
Lydia Shaw
Bella Smith
CSED Fellows: 2021-22
Grant Baldwin
Jessica Dofelmire
Kelsey Eyre
Hannah Forsyth
Jordan Gygi
Jacob Lunt
Tommy Nanto
Zeke Peters
Jeremy Pratt
Morgan Rushforth
Kesley Townsend
Chris Vazquez
Isabel Williams
Clara Wilson
Mary Lou Fulton Endowments: 2021
Four Political Science students received internship grants from
the Mary Lou Fulton endowment in 2021:
Addison Garside ($2,200)
Camden Reese ($1,600)
Matthew Sanders ($750)
Owen Gregory Bates ($500)
21

Clara Wilson Cullen
President
SPECIAL
ACHIEVEMENTS
BYU POLITICAL AFFAIRS
SOCIETY EXECUTIVES FOR
2022-23
Jackson Berthold
Vice President
Megan Baird
President of Women in Politics
Lindsey Walker
President of Students for
International Development
Thank you to our outgoing BYU PAS Executives:
Abigail Woodfield (President); Kaity Marquis (Vice
President); Kesley Townsend (Women in Politics President);
Megan Baird, Jackson Berthold, David Close, Clara
Cullen, Amy Kurtzweil, and Isaac Lamoreaux.
22

Lauren Allen Warner, BA
Political Science:
Utah Governor’s office
internship, Utah Attorney
General’s office internship,
Research and Teaching
assistant, BYU Women in
Politics Publicist, International
Folkdance Team.
I will be attending the J.
Rueben Clark law school
this fall! Salutatorian, Magna
Cume Laude
Johnathon Floyd: I am now
working on an accounting degree
with another institution; I
plan to pair it with my BYU political
science degree and pursue
a career in forensic accounting
for the United States government.
Spencer May, BA Political Science:
Next is Law School!
Stela Martinez, BA Political
Science: Attending BYU MPA
program in the fall!
Jesse Boyce, BA Political Science:
Working with the National Defense
University while I attended the
Washington Seminar in D.C. was
one of the best experiences of my
college experience. I wish to pursue
a practical education in national
security.
STUDENT
SPOTLIGHTS
PLANS FOR AFTER
GRADUATION
Meg Price, BA Political
Science:
Next is Law School at
BYU!
Landon Evans, BA
Political Science: Spanish
Language Certificate, Legal
Studies Minor. Congressional
Internship with Representative
John Curtis. Law
school is next. Graduating
with Distinction.
Rebekah Heath, BA Political
Science: Throughout my time at
BYU I’ve had the privilege of
having the Brigham Young grant.
I’ve also written a paper on gendered
rhetoric in supreme court
cases about abortion with Dr.
Lucy Williams at the law school.
This spring I’ll be going on a
church history study abroad. I’ve
also had a ton of fun longboarding
and snowboarding throughout
the canyon with friends, earning
a couple of concussions along the
way. I will be attending law school
in the fall, and hope to have a
career as a transactional corporate
attorney specializing in mergers
and acquisitions.
Emillia Winterhalter, BA
Political Science: I will be
attending Washburn Law, Kansas
in the fall.
Jeremy Pratt, BA Political
Science: Garth N. Jones Scholar,
Academic Scholarship Recipient,
Dean’s List, Undergraduate
CSED Research Fellow, Research
Assistant, Teaching Assistant,
Utah State Legislative Intern,
Volunteer Mediator with the
Center for Peace and Conflict
Resolution, Pi Alpha Sigma,
Phi Eta Sigma National Honor
Society, Skull and Bones Society
Order 322, Masonic Lodge Officer
in Blue Lodge Freemasonry -
First Degree Entered Apprentice,
Ikon Pass Holder, and Part-time
Highschool Substitute Math
Teacher. I will be moving to
Angola, where I’ve accepted a
position to direct a small hospital
that focuses on reducing neonatal
disorders in the Bakongo Tribe. I
am very excited, or as the locals
say, wapi pleni ya avio!
Graduated with Distinction
24

STUDENT
SPOTLIGHTS
PLANS FOR AFTER
GRADUATION
25
Kaity Marquis, BA
Political Science: Author,
publisher, and editor-inchief
of the BYU Political
Review. Author, board
member, and editor-inchief
for the BYU PreLaw
Review. Published writing
for both the Political
Review and the PreLaw
Review. Interning editor for
Aporia, the undergraduate
philosophy journal.
Research assistant for the
Political Science department
and the J. Reuben Clark
Law School. Teaching
assistant for the Political
Science department.
Recipient of the Excellence
in Philosophy Scholarship as
well as the Kevin G. Jones
Scholarship. Vice President
of the BYU Political Affairs
Society. Vice President
of the BYU Philosophical
Society. Member of Pi
Sigma Alpha.
ttending the European
Studies study abroad this
spring. Graduate school in
philosophy as well as law
school, in no particular
order
Graduating with Distinction.
Isabel Williams: Moving to
DC and working as a staff
assistant in the US Senate!
James Whiting, BA Political
Science: While all the activities
at BYU have been enjoyable, my
favorite thing to do during my
college experience has been visiting
the assisted living facilities in and
around Provo and Springville to
sing and play the guitar for the
sweet elderly people. I hope to
attend BYU Law this fall!
Peter Snyder, BA Political
Science:
BYU Air Force ROTC: 2019-2020.
Washington Seminar- Internship
in the office of U.S. Senator Mike
Lee.Campaign experience: Working
on the campaign of Representative
John Curtis. I am going to take
the Foreign Service Officer exam
for the U.S. State Department and
am considering the U.S. Military as
another option.
Liz Ericksen, BA Political Science:
Next is JD/MPA!
Grant Baldwin, BA Political
Science: Grant served three
years as a TA for American
Heritage and two years as
an undergraduate fellow at
the Center for the Study of
Elections and Democracy (CSED).
Publications in BYU’s student
journals: Sigma, the Thetean,
and Religious Education
Student Symposium. Research
and Poster presentations at the
Department’s Political Science
Poster Conference, Mary Lou
Fulton Mentored Research
Conference, and the Utah
Conference on Undergraduate
research. Entering a PhD program
in Political Science at UCLA with
focuses in American Politics and
Political Methodology (Statistics)
in the fall! Political Science
Departmental Distinction.
Bonnie Stewart, BA Political
Science: BYU Academic Scholarship,
Public Education Foundation
Scholarship, Washington Seminar,
Internship with the National
Academy of Public Administration,
Research and Teaching
Assistant.
I will be attending the BYU J.
Reuben Clark Law School in the
Fall.
Graduating with Distinction, Magna
Cum Laude, Dean’s List.

Jessica Dofelmire, BA
Political Science:
Academic scholarship
recipient, 2020 Wade
Jacoby Inspiring Learning
Scholarship, Congressional
internship with Senator
Lee, BYU Law and Corpus
Linguistics internship,
Scottish Parliament study
abroad, editor for BYU
Pre-Law Review, Center for
the Study of Elections and
Democracy research fellow,
Pi Sigma Alpha, presented
research at the Political
Science department poster
conference, the Mary Lou
Fulton mentored research
conference, BYU Honors
conference, and SPSA 2022.
I am taking a gap year
and then attending law
school. University honors,
department distinction.
Abigail Ryan, BA Political
Science:
Co-President of BYU College
Democrats for 2 years;
Global Women’s Studies Honor
Society;
National Political Science
Honor Society;
Internship with Becky Edwards
for Senate Campaign;
Third Overall in Political
Science Poster Conference;
Research Assistant for
Professor Preece;
POLI 150 Teaching Assistant
(2 semesters);
POLI 472 Teaching Assistant
(3 semesters);
GWS Office Assistant;
Summer 2022 GWS Study
Abroad.
Not in chronological order:
going on the GWS Human
Rights Women’s Rights Study
Abroad, adopting a retired
Greyhound, and exploring
potential careers.
Zeke Peters, BA Political
Science:
President of Students of Urban
Planning Association.
Editor-in-Chief at BYU SIGMA
Journal.
Fellow of the Center for the
Study of Elections & Democracy
(CSED).
FHSS Representative of the
Student Alumni Council.
Writer at BYU Political Review &
Pre-Law Review.
Teaching Assistant/Resident
Advisor with Jeremy C. Pope
(RA), Tyler Pack (POLI 475),
Ethan Busby (POLI 328).
Brent Taylor Memorial
Scholarship Recipient. Intern with
Provo City Development Services.
I will be attending the University
of Utah for a dual master’s
program in Public Administration
and City & Metropolitan Planning.
Graduation with Distinction, Phi
Sigma Alpha.
STUDENT
SPOTLIGHTS
PLANS FOR AFTER
GRADUATION
26

CONGRATULATIONS
Mohammad Tayel Fadi Alhusban
Bradley Scott Amis
Daniela Marlene Aranda
Eric Grant Baldwin
David Isaac Banks
Austin Scott Birrell
Brayden Chase Blaylock
Jesse Dylan Boyce
Mayeline Burdie
Emily Anne Wiest Campbell
Bonnie Kate Candland
Ethan Christian Carlson
Elizabeth S. Castillo
John Robert Cherrington
Cory Riley Christensen
Dayson Ariva Malie Damuni
McKenna Marie Davis
Jessica Dofelmire
Alyssa Jean Doig
Landon Robert Evans
Kellen Shepherd Everett
Kelsey Lee Eyre
Samuel Emigdio Fernandez
Jonathon Michael Floyd
Alison Alexa Forsloff
Hannah Rachel Forsyth
Bryce Garrison Gally
Paloma April Garcia
Daylen Joe Gargalis
Addison Claire Garside
Kennedy Alyse Gerratt
Jessica Ellen Gillich
Sarah Alex Allred Green
Haley Kay Grizzell
Hailey Marie Guymon
Jordan Glenn Gygi
Dallin Jerron Hale
Landon Richard Hardy
Rebekah Jean Heath
Alejandra Veronica Herrera
Siale Tayler Tausinga Hifo
Ashlynn Elaine Hokanson
James Austin Holmes
Yunha Hwang
Madelyn Jacobsen
Daniel James Jenkins
Cassandra Cheri Kendall
Kimia Khatami
Elizabeth Ericksen Kutz
Matthew Leo LaMattina
Laura Marie Langford
Tess Michelle Larsen
Sierra Leanne Lenz
Robert Bruce Lindsay
Rebecca Lee Wright Lines
Grace Emmeline Long
Catherine Felicity Loveland
Peyton Lee Lykins
Luke Lyons
Daniel Michael Macdonald
Rebecca Ruth Manning
Michael James Marcantano
Kaitlyn Adele Marquis
Stela Marie Martinez
Logan David Marx
Gabriel Nicholas Maslich
Spencer Donald May
Miranda Kay Maynard
McKell Mary McIntyre
Tanner Kenneth Merkley
Justice Kristine Mitchell
Jay Edward Mortensen
Thomas David Nanto
Kaleb J Newey
Eli David Nielsen
Clint James Nielson
Rodolpho Oliva
William James O’Reilly
Aurea Bianca Ignacio Orencia
Colton Avaron Osguthorpe
Gustavo V Padilla
Elliana Sage Pastrano
Elizabeth Jane Patterson
Zoe Anne Patton
Ezekiel Rick Bremner Peters
Lauren Brooke Petersen
Hannah LuMei Pitt
Ethan Gabriel Thomas Pitts
Sophia Elise Plantamura
Jeremy Spencer Pratt
Margaret Rosalie Price
Morgan Joseph Pyper
Rolle Kristian Rantaniemi
Nicholas Maughan Riehle
Jose Ricardo Rodriguez
Gavyn Wyatt Roedel
Jonathan Craig Rosenbalm
Abigail Ann Ryan-Brown
Conor Sy Schetzel
Drake Allen Seifert
Emma Rebecca Sewell
McKinly Peter Snyder
Steven Terry Soldani
Cardston Jesse Stanford
Bonnie Catherine Stewart
Colten Blake Swenson
Madison Kendall Sinclair
Ross Gerald Tate
Walker A Thomas
Jared Todd Tippets
Kesley Brooke Townsend
Christopher M Vazquez
Tomo Belinda Vierbuchen
Elizabeth Katherine Walker
Lindsey Walker
Tehya Renée Walkingstick
Lauren Allen Warner
Richard Nelson West
Katie Dianne Whitehead
James Hyrum Whiting
Isabel Kate Williams
Emillia Lisbeth Winterhalter
Spencer Christopher Wright
Zachry Thomas Wright
Madeline Christine Zarchin
Bonnieblue Zuniga
POLI SCI
GRADUATES
COMPLETE LIST OF GRADUATES
28

2022 GRADUATION
VALEDICTORIAN
ADDRESS TO THE
CLASS OF 2022
IN CLOSING
29
Congratulations graduates! I hope that each
of us will take the time to reflect upon our
experiences at BYU and thank those who
have made this journey and our successes
possible.
As I have reflected upon my own education,
I have found that the greatest thing I have
learned is how to effectively care for others.
President Russel M. Nelson said, “education
is the difference between wishing you
could help other people and being able to
help them.” Truly, the mission of a BYU
education is to mold individuals who possess
the ability to effectively help those most in
need.
I believe studying political science has only
expanded each of our capacities to care
for and help those around us. As political
science students, we have had the unique
opportunity to study systemic inequality
and the ways in which policies and social
institutions can create disadvantages in
our communities. We know that certain
institutions fail to fix the problems they
were created to solve. We know that there
is not always equity in the laws created and
passed at the local and national levels. We
know that, to a lot of people, partisanship is
more important than public health, winning
is more important than what is right,
and being right is more important than
listening to another perspective. Despite how
disheartening this field can be, I am grateful
that each of us possesses the tools to identify
inequalities and thereby identify those most
in need of care.
Political scientists also possess the tool
of understanding complexity. A political
scientist is someone who cares enough
about the world to uncover its generalities
and its nuances, its consistencies and its
contradictions. The study of political
science is a study of autonomous actors who
possess considerations and complexity and
a depth that often goes untapped, making
it beyond challenging to predict opinions
and behavior. Certainly, other areas of study
like sociology or psychology deal with these
challenges as well. But there is something
different about what political science gets
to uncover because there is something different about the
interaction of politics and a person. In fact, the personal
is political and the political is personal. Because of this,
political scientists are privy to some of the most complex
attitudes, institutions, and interactions in our world today.
An understanding of this complexity allows us to empathize
with those in need, recognize the barriers to equality, and
apply meaningful solutions.
The final tool each of us has at our disposal to help
those around us is an understanding that politics can
be an avenue for good. A few years ago, one of my
professors told us in class that “if we continue to think of
politics as the worst thing, it will never get better.” In my
interactions with family and friends, it is evident that a
lot of people do see politics as the worst thing. But despite
every negative thing political scientists are exposed to,
we continue to see politics as an avenue for good. Within
this very department, we have professors and students
discovering avenues to help women successfully run for
office. There are faculty members uncovering ways to
increase public trust in election security and financing. We
have professors studying solutions to lowering the costs
of political participation and ways to tackle extremism
and polarization. But perhaps most importantly in this
department, we have been mentored by professors who are
dedicated to passing these skills on to students and creating
a generation that is increasingly optimistic about our
political potential and the ways we can use politics to care
for those around us.
Though not all of us will continue studying political science
after we graduate, I hope that each of us will utilize the
tools we have learned at BYU to care for others. Let us
all continue to recognize disadvantages and inequalities
in our future education, careers, and communities. Let
us acknowledge the complex effect of this disadvantage
on the individual. And let us remember to use our
understanding of political processes to create positive
change in the lives of those most in need.
Congratulations, Class of 2022!
-Kesley Townsend, Valedictorian

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