ASU alumni share experiences with 'Early Starters'

The college experience is vastly different to that of high school. To help prepare students for their transition to ASU, the School of Politics and Global Studies offers the Early Start program. The program allows a select group of students to come to campus two weeks early while learning strategies for succeeding in college.

The students also get a chance to hear from guest speakers that have experience in politics. This year, in their second week of the program, they were visited by political science alumni Christopher Glover and Trista Guzman. 

Glover and Guzman shared with the group the experiences they had while at ASU and takeaways from their careers.

“This [degree] program took political science and turned it into a career that I love,” said Guzman, who is policy assistant to Governor Doug Ducey. 

Glover, a councilmember in Mesa, Arizona District 4, advised the group not give up even when things are hard. Adding that failure is an opportunity for students to learn.

“You have to have a growth mind set,” Glover said. “Through determination you can accomplish anything you want.”

While at ASU, both Glover and Guzman participated in the Capital Scholars Program. As Capital Scholars, they lived and interned in Washington D.C. while earning credit.

During his time as a Capital Scholar, Glover was interning at an office that was in disarray. While other interns were quitting, Glover decided to stick it out.

“I’m better because of that experience,” Glover shared. “In crisis management I now know what to expect and how to handle it.”

While in the program, Guzman helped with focus groups. The following election cycle, after completing her internship, she was asked to come back to D.C. to help with polling data.  Guzman’s experiences illustrated to the students the importance of networking and how the program taught her to seek opportunities.

“My foundation and support here at ASU helped me be able to make some of those decisions,” Guzman said.