Olivia Weiss

What made you want to come to Lewis & Clark?

I wanted to go to a small school that wasn’t too far away from home. I liked that Portland had a mix of fast-paced city life and quaint tight-knit neighborhoods. When I toured L&C, I remember being impressed with the creativity and self-expression among students. There was no single archetype of what it meant to be a L&C student. I haven’t been in any other environment where uniqueness and self-discovery are so celebrated. L&C created such a welcoming and encouraging environment to figure out who I was and wanted to be.

What have you been doing since graduation?

After graduation, I started working as a staff assistant for Senator Jeff Merkley in his Portland Office. After two years of being there and learning more than I ever could have imagined about Oregon and politics, I moved to Congresswoman Bynum’s office to take on the role of field representative. In my current role I plan events, do outreach with local elected officials, learn about local issues across the state, connect organizations with federal grant opportunities, and run town halls.

How did Lewis & Clark prepare you for your job?

L&C taught me how to be a good learner, meaning, how to figure out what I don’t know. A lot of my role involves me trying to wrap my head around certain political debates or local disputes and attempting to understand what the nexus of the issue is. My time at L&C taught me how to effectively seek out information and diversify my sources to get a well-rounded picture of a given situation.

What would you say is the most important thing you learned at Lewis & Clark?

My time in student government helped me learn the importance of balancing ideals with practicality, from a governing perspective. In my time as student body vice president, I got to learn how to listen to the wants of a community and use my role (and knowledge) to determine how to best implement solutions that would deliver meaningful results.

How do you stay connected to Lewis & Clark as an alum?

Many of my closest friends are L&C alums. We spend lots of time talking about our time together and laughing about different experiences we had while there.

How do you describe the liberal arts?

I think liberal arts is the recognition of the interconnectedness of many of different disciplines. Rather than taking a narrow approach to different fields of study, liberal arts borrow from different disciplines to examine a topic from a variety of perspectives.

What did you like or find most interesting about your major?

One thing I loved about majoring in political science was getting to learn about current events while they were happening. It was so meaningful to be able to have a deep understanding of political events as they were happening, not after the fact. Especially with the political turmoil that occurred from 2019-2023, it was really helpful for me to have a space to make sense of what was happening in the country. Even now, as I try to make sense of whatever the latest unprecedented political crisis is, I find myself leaning on ideas I learned in college to help me understand the dynamics at play. In my professional role, I think about concepts that I learned in the political science department at least once a day.

What was your favorite class? How did it expand your knowledge?

My favorite class was History of Portland, taught by Reiko Hillyer. This class opened my mind to the field of urban studies and the forces at play in the development of a city. I took this class somewhat randomly, and it remains the most impactful class I took in my four years. In my current role as a field representative, it is invaluable to have a deep understanding of the history of Oregon that contributed to the dynamics of today. After graduating, I returned to that syllabus and read most of the books we had read excerpts from. I remain fascinated in placemaking and have continued to build on that knowledge. Plus, I know a lot of random fun facts about Portland.

Who was your mentor on campus? Why do you consider this person your mentor?

My mentor was (and still is) Sarah Lind-MacMillan. Sarah served as student body president while I assisted her as vice president. Sarah always managed to do more than seemed possible in a 24-hour day (and have fun while doing it). Whether it was academics, student governments, or one of the other handful of clubs she helped lead, she made an impact on every space she was a part of and did it with such grace. I continue to look up to Sarah when I need encouragement and inspiration. She gives me hope for the future, inspires me to never take life too seriously, and reminds me how much I am capable of.

Political Science