California grad is heading home for a career in public service
Laura Doyle will begin working as a district representative for the California State Senate following graduation. Courtesy photo
Editor’s note: This story is part of a series of profiles of notable spring 2026 graduates.
By Amanda Loudin
In a polarized and charged political environment, many people choose disengagement. Arizona State University graduate Laura Doyle, however, is stepping right into the center of the fray, and is determined to make a difference.
The Irish-born student from Sacramento, California, is earning her Bachelor of Science in public policy and public service (law and policy) this May and is headed to the California State Senate, where she’ll begin working as a district representative.
“I always knew I wanted to work in government,” she says, “and that I’d eventually want to go to law school. ASU offered a competitive program in public policy and the Watts College, which is based on the idea of service for others and community for good.”
Doyle says she loved her experience on the Downtown Phoenix campus, as well as serving as lead coordinator for the Sacramento Scholars. But she didn’t stop there — as a student in the consistently top-ranked Barrett, The Honors College, she took full advantage of all opportunities to expand her public policy know-how. She served as a teacher’s assistant; an ambassador in the School of Public Affairs; the downtown student body president; and defended a thesis on why young voters register but do not vote.
“With these jobs I took on at ASU, I was able to gain skills to help me land my post-grad job that I first interned at through an ASU scholars program,” she says.
The Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions has been particularly meaningful to Doyle.
“Being a Watts student has been one of my lost loved identities,” she says. “Truly, none of my growth or success would have felt possible anywhere else in the world.”
Here, Doyle shares more about her time at ASU:
Question: Did you face any hurdles during your college experience?
Answer: In my college application, I talked about how I was constantly frustrated and angry, like most teenagers, but now, that’s just not who I am anymore. I dedicate my accomplishments and awards to those who were in similar positions as me.
Q: What else should we know about you?
A: I’m a first-gen college student and immigrant. I was born in Ireland, then lived in Dubai and Cairo before moving to America. I became a citizen at the beginning of my junior year.
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