Name: Ashton Koch
Majors: Political Science and Global Studies
Minors: French, Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs
Hometown: Omaha, Nebraska
Year at UNL: Freshman
Favorite book and why: My favorite book is Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood. First of all, Margaret Atwood is my all-time favorite author, and I enjoy most of her works. Second, I think that Oryx and Crake combines both the excitement of a dystopian novel, as well as a deeper meaning as to what our society could look like in the future if we aren’t cautious—I thoroughly enjoy analyzing Atwood’s works to understand her true messages.
Favorite movie and why: My favorite movie is Crazy Rich Asians, it took me on an emotional roller coaster and had me laughing one minute and then crying the next.
Why Global Studies?
When planning my college career, I had always been set on only being a Political Science major, but at NSE my advisor introduced me to the idea of Global Studies. My initial interest in the program came from my French education in middle and high school, and I fell in love with learning about that culture, and when I heard about the Global Studies program, I saw it as an opportunity to fall in love with more cultures and make myself a citizen of the world. Since then, Global Studies has become one of my most favorite parts of college—as I think that the community of Global Studies students is like a family of people who all share a common love for the larger society of ours that is the whole world. Since I am a freshman, I haven’t had the opportunity to take many classes, but thus far my favorite is POLS 268: Threats to the World Order, I find it intriguing to study the ways different countries interact with each other and how they work together and fall apart fighting and creating different threats to our world.
For new Global Studies majors, my best advice is to take the entire program to heart, because even though my career at UNL is just beginning, this program has given me some of my new closest friends, advisors who are set on helping me achieve my future goals, and a new world view that impacts how I go about my daily life, and how I plan out my future.
Study Abroad Plans: I have not yet studied abroad, but as of right now I am looking into the Critical Language Scholarship in order to go to Indonesia to learn Bahasa Indonesian. I also am looking into a study abroad program in my future to go to Senegal. Prior to college, I went to France, and that experience makes me so excited to go to new places, meet new people, and encounter new cultures.
What are you post-graduation plans?: After graduation I would like to attend law school. My long-term future goal is to become and international human rights lawyer, and more specifically I want to work with immigration or human trafficking.