Each semester, the Institute for Leadership Studies awards one student of Loyola Marymount University (LMU) with its unique Hansard Fellowship. Students spend a semester in London, attending the prestigious London School of Economics and Politics while working as an intern for members of the British Parliament. Since 1994, Hansard scholars have been gaining experiences by being fully immersed in England’s political world. This semester’s recipient of the award is sophomore Elsie Mares, from Bakersfield, CA, who says she’s looking forward the opportunity to broaden her horizons and face new challenges.
“I’ve never been to Europe or flown overseas at all, so this is a completely new experience for me. I am nervous about being so far away from home, but more than anything I am just excited to be traveling to a place with so much history, life and interesting things going on,” says Mares.
“I hope to be challenged as an intern, student and person during this role and come back better versed and experienced in global affairs.”
In the past two years, Elsie says she has quickly immersed herself in a variety of communities and programs on campus. She says the communities she found in groups like Belles Service Organization, Pi Beta Phi and the pre-law honor society Phi Delta Phi has given her the support system she needs to reach her goals.
Mares also serves as an Intercultural Facilitator and a resident advisor for on-campus students. She says these challenging roles have helped to prepare her for what is to come. “Being an Intercultural Facilitator has taught me so much about personal perspectives and how to bridge gaps between people,” says Mares. “I have grown so much and found a sense of community by being involved with these groups.
Mares says that she has hoped to receive the Hansard Fellowship since beginning her time at LMU. “Being selected for the fellowship almost didn’t seem real, and even today, it’s hard to believe that I’m going. While I knew I was going to pursue this chance, I didn’t think it would happen.”
The fellowship is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2019. Along with her experience at LMU, Mares attributes how she sees the world, as well as her desire to expand that view, to her family, who she says encouraged her to pursue the fellowship. “My dad was born in Mexico, and my mom grew up there, which has helped me grow up with an expanded view of the world.”
“We often think of ourselves as the center of the world when there is so much more outside these borders. I believe that all people across the planet are connected and I hope that this experience makes me understand and apply this belief more,” says Mares.