ASU double major sets sights on improving health care access
Mia McLaughlin was recognized as the spring 2025 Dean’s Medalist for ASU’s School of Politics and Global Studies.
Editor’s note: This story is part of a series of profiles of notable spring 2025 graduates.
An outstanding student with a passion for research, analysis and civic engagement on a global scale, Mia McLaughlin is graduating with dual degrees in political science and global studies.
She is also the spring 2025 Dean’s Medalist for Arizona State University's School of Politics and Global Studies.
“Her dedication to careful and impactful research and willingness to tackle complex problems have been evident since her first year in our school,” said Henry Sivak, a teaching associate professor at the school.
McLaughlin’s academic excellence shined through in extracurricular opportunities as well, participating in the school’s Junior Fellows Program, while also working as a research aide for the Center for Research on Religion and Conflict.
Through those opportunities, McLaughin “built connections to service-learning organizations in the Phoenix metro area, developed a screening questionnaire for potential groups and organizations, and workshopped ideas for a potential upper-division course on career and professional development,” Sivak said.
McLaughlin’s thesis dove into youth awareness of paramilitary radicalism in post-Brexit Northern Ireland, in which she conducted interviews with young Belfast voters while abroad and worked with both qualitative and quantitative data in her analysis.
What’s next? An accelerated masters degree in public administration at ASU’s Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions.
Question: What was your “aha” moment when you realized you wanted to study the field you majored in?
Answer: I don’t think I necessarily had an “aha” moment per se. Instead, I think it was an accumulation of little moments and converging interests that led me to global studies and political science. When I was 16, I interned with an Arizona congressman, and that helped springboard my interest and motivated me to get involved with public policy research on campus. It also helped that I began watching "Madam Secretary" in my senior year of high school; that definitely increased the appeal of life in D.C.!
Q: What’s something you learned while at ASU — in the classroom or otherwise — that surprised you or changed your perspective?
A: Professor accessibility and engagement, for sure! Coming into university, I had a preconceived notion that professors were austere, intimidating figures and as a result, was initially hesitant to ask questions or engage outside of class. However, as my classes began, I discovered the faculty and staff were extremely invested in not only student academic successes but professional successes as well. In my first semester, I started a book club as an honors contract with a professor and a couple of girls I had just met in my SGS 101 class. That experience encouraged me to ask more questions and share my thoughts more readily with both my professors and peers, improving my confidence and introducing me to some wonderful faculty mentors.
Q: Why did you choose ASU?
A: ASU caught my eye for a few reasons. For one, I had heard great things about the School of Politics and Global Studies, both in terms of research opportunities and engaging courses. Secondly, the 3+1 Accelerated Masters programs the university offers worked well with the dual enrollment hours I brought in from high school, allowing me to tailor my university track with graduate plans in mind! It also helped that all my extended family live in Phoenix, so I could have the best of both worlds, in being on my own but close enough to visit for special occasions.
Q: Which professor taught you the most important lesson while at ASU?
A: I had Dr. Sivak’s SGS 101 class in the first semester of my freshman year. One of the things he stressed in our course was the importance of acknowledging the “global in the local.” In other words, realizing the real-world, global implications of investing in your local community. This core concept was the basis for a club I helped found on campus called Bridge to Service, which aims to connect college students in the School of Politics and Global Studies to local service organizations and help develop meaningful partnerships within the community. Recognizing the “global in the local” has underpinned the duration of my college career and was instrumental in pushing me toward a career in municipal government.
Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’d give to those still in school?
A: Within reason and mindful of your limits, say yes to unconventional opportunities that may be out of your comfort zone — academic, professional or otherwise. You never know where you may end up! This practice enabled me to be published in a textbook, speak with the undersecretary to the Irish prime minister for my thesis, and study abroad for six months — all things I never could have previously envisioned myself doing.
Q: What was your favorite spot on campus, whether for studying, meeting friends or just thinking about life?
A: Hands down, the Secret Garden! I loved Frances Hodgson Burnett’s book as a kid, and discovering that ASU had its very own version definitely sparked that childhood wonder. I didn’t learn of its existence until my second year here, but found it to be a great place to meet up with friends and work on group projects.
Q: What are your plans after graduation?
A: I will be heading to ASU’s Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions for my accelerated masters degree in public administration on the Downtown (Phoenix) campus. While enrolled, I hope to get involved with the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), which is Arizona’s Medicaid agency, to work on improving healthcare access and coverage for underserved communities across the state.
Q: If someone gave you $40 million to solve one problem on our planet, what would you tackle?
A: While this issue would need a bit more than a simple cash infusion and would require a country-based approach, I’m passionate about expanding healthcare accessibility and improving related health infrastructure in my own community and beyond. I would love to help contribute to solutions like a greater investment in mobile clinics, lowering healthc are costs for constituents, helping eradicate transportation-related barriers, improving internet access in hard-to-reach communities and providing more clinical training for medical professionals. Hopefully, my future involvement with programs like AHCCCS will begin making a dent in this goal.
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