What is the value of joining NSCS? For some students, the value lies in the scholarships that make their education more affordable. For others, the value lies in the public speaking opportunities or the volunteer work. When it boils down to it, though, the value of NSCS really comes from connections. The connections students build while they are NSCS members become a bridge towards a better future.
Connections Allow for Experience
College provides a great academic background for students, but many student struggle to get the other experiences they need to become well-rounded employees. Even the best honors programs have limited resources and are not able to always provide internship experiences, volunteer programs, and leadership opportunities for all of their students.
NSCS has connections with various companies, political campaigns, and career mentors, and students who join get access to those connections. Some students find an internship that gives them the work experience they need to round out their resume. Others find a connection to a study abroad program that allows them to immerse themselves in a different culture and learn a language.
NSCS membership also connects students to one another! In college, students sometimes struggle to meet others outside of their major. However, NSCS welcomes students from all majors and programs, and it creates opportunities for them to work together. Science majors connect with humanities majors. English majors connect with political science majors. These connections help students better understand the breadth of knowledge that exists and how various disciplines can work together for a brighter future.
Connections Launch You Into the Workforce
Of course, the goal of college is to prepare you for a career, and NSCS tends to serve as a bridge between school and career for its members. It’s often the connections made through NSCS that either help a student find their first job, or help a student decide what type of work they want to pursue.
When we asked Rachel Layrisson, an NSCS member from Florida State University, what she thought made NSCS membership worth it, she replied,
“Because of NSCS, I’ve participated in multiple political campaign internships that would not have been available to me if I had not been a part of this organization.”
Rachel is not alone in her experience. Many other NSCS members have worked on political campaigns, which is a really rewarding opportunity for any student with an interest in political science, law, or social change. These campaigns are not easy for students to walk into without a connection, and NSCS is that connection.
While we do not know for sure what Rachel will do once she graduates, we do know that her time working on political campaigns will serve her well. She’ll have multiple work experiences to feature on her resume, and even more importantly, she’ll have skills that she developed through the experience. Being able to speak about these leadership skills, organizational skills, and personal skills in an interview will make Rachel a much better candidate once she begins applying for jobs. And it all started with an NSCS connection between Rachel and the political campaigns she worked for.
There’s no doubt in our minds that NSCS membership holds great value for students who join. At NSCS, we build bridges and connections. That bridge may be between your college life and your future career, or it may be between your science background and another member’s political science background. How you use your membership is up to you, but we promise you will benefit from taking advantage of the connections we provide.
