Published on April 13, 2022 by Sean Flynt  
Coleman
Caroline Coleman presented her senior thesis at the Midwest Political Science Association in April.

Graduating Samford University political science major Caroline Coleman turned an internship into a full-time job that’s awaiting her graduation later this month. As a Political Affairs Account Manager for the national Strategic Impact firm, she will help strategize and plan for various state and federal political races.

Coleman has broad interests in politics, public affairs, research and analysis, but is generally aiming toward a career that will build on the knowledge and skills she developed at Samford. For her senior thesis she researched public education in Alabama to see if there was a connection between a county's property tax rates and the student performance in the county schools. The research, mentored by professors Marissa Grayson, Randolph Horn, and Serena Simoni earned her an invitation to present a poster at the annual conference of the Midwest Political Science Association in April.

“It was such a neat experience getting to be around great academics and professionals in political science,” Coleman said. “I loved getting to talk about my research with people at the conference, because it's something I really poured a lot of time and energy into, and it isn't something the average person wants to talk with you about.” She will present the work again at the April 22 Samford Student Research Colloquia hosted by Samford’s Office of Research. 

"I am genuinely so grateful to the Political Science Department at Samford for how it's pushed me over the past four years,” Coleman said. “I have grown tremendously under the guidance of amazing professors who truly challenge their students and want to see them succeed. Samford is lucky to have such driven and exceptional professors who not only teach their students, but mentor them outside of the classroom. My professors have pushed me to seek out internships and opportunities that I otherwise would not have considered myself qualified for. Additionally, the research I have been able to complete under Dr. Simoni is something I am so proud of, and something I know I'll be able to reference for years to come in my career."

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 5,791 students from 49 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.