Joonsoo Yi

Joonsoo Yi was a US History and Politics MA student in the years 2016-17.

It has always been my impression that anyone who is serious about pursuing a career in politics, in whatever capacity and wherever that may be, should study political science in London. The city attracts the most talented and brightest people from all over Europe and from the rest of the world; it is the most diverse city in the world both culturally and politically. At the academic centre of London is UCL, and I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to undertake my postgraduate studies at such a prestigious institution.

I completed my undergraduate studies at the University of York, where I read Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. I moved to the UK because I wanted to be exposed to as many political thoughts as possible. Through cultural exchange (that occurred naturally over the course of my time in the UK), I hoped to learn how people from different countries think and behave. As someone who hopes to run for office someday in the United States, I felt this was crucial. That is why upon completing my undergraduate degree, I decided to continue on with my studies at UCL.

I recently started working at the U.S. House of Representatives, and in retrospect I am not so confident I would have been able to had I not studied at UCL under the guidance so many great professors at the Institute of Americas. The course is heavily seminar-based, which spurs a lot of intellectual debates amongst fellow students.

But perhaps most importantly for me, these seminars helped me hone my speaking and debating skills. It taught me how to communicate with people effectively and efficiently, which is crucial for anyone wanting to work on the Hill. Working in legislative affairs requires one to be social and outspoken, to be able to work with various organizations with competing interests. It requires one to work across party lines, persuading Members of another party to co-sponsor your bills. The seminar-led courses at the Institute of Americas have equipped me to do this. The seminars instilled in me the idea that one should always empathize with the views of the people with whom you disagree, and to really try to understand and study where they’re coming from (however extreme and outlandish their views may be), for therein lies learning, and therein lies a genuine opportunity to grow, collaborate, and to make a real change in the world.