Le Moyne College Stories

This winter Barbara Maciel ‘26 found herself walking the halls of an institution that has played a critical role in American history since the Revolution, surrounded by other young people who are as passionate about politics and foreign affairs as she is. A political science major, Maciel represented Le Moyne at the 74th Student Conference on United States Affairs (SCUSA) at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. It was there that the Londrina, Brazil, native found herself discussing “the Cold War at breakfast, liberalism at lunch, and international economics at dinner.” She had the opportunity to meet former U.S. Secretary of State and current Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, polster and political consultant Frank Luntz, and New York Times national security correspondent David Sanger. Having grown up in a Brazilian community on Cape Cod, Mass., where her life was shaped by international relations, particularly immigration, Maciel said the conference made one thing abundantly clear: “What draws me to politics is the hope that I can help others, especially those at the mercy of the immigration system, through these studies.”