The sinister hum of R-16s buzzed in my ears as they barely missed the roof. The crash of sound bombs being dropped onto our house, sharp, piercing booms, came next. I was staring at my parents’ terrified faces, trying to comprehend how my beautiful, culturally-rich hometown, the crossroads of Europe and Asia, was in the midst of chaos.

The conditions of poverty and terror that exist in Turkey has made my primary interest political science. As someone who has experienced political unrest in my country since the beginning of high school, I’ve been drawn to the issues of power, conflict, and justice.

At first, economics was a simple tool for me to justify my desire to order food because the opportunity cost of not eating well and doing poorly on my tests would eventually have a high cost: life failure. I continued using economics to understand the processes behind people’s choices, and my interest deepened. Currently, I’m writing a research paper in my Economics Seminar entitled The Economic Impact of the Syrian Civil War on Turkey’s Economy, which details the five billion dollars (!) the Turkish government is spending on the refugee crisis, and only through the study of economics can we find solutions to this situation.

The Political Science and Economics major will help me achieve my aim of studying international law and working in the nonprofit sector. The Give A Hand Organization continues to grow, and I aim to use my education to lead it more professionally, reach more people and impact the lives of more refugee children. The Political Science and Economics major will allow me to understand the rationale behind human choices, markets, and the actions of the government, and hopefully, can help prevent another refugee crisis such as the one we are currently dealing with.