Lucy Eisgruber (Class of 2019)

photo of Lucy Eisgruber

  • senior Political Science major
  • minors in Marketing and Management
  • from Indianapolis, IN
  • interned in Silicon Valley as Altman Summer Scholar with Farmer School of Business's Institute for Entrepreneurship
  • Chief Justice of the Student Court and VP of Standards in the Panhellenic Association
  • studied abroad and completed independent study in Luxembourg (Fall 2017)
"It doesn't matter what you major in. Do what you really want to do, and enjoy it!"

Why Miami?

Lucy Eisgruber in Florence, Italy

"I had an academic counselor in high school who nudged me to check out Miami. I came for a campus tour and immediately felt I could see myself here. There is a commitment to undergraduate teaching, and I have so many professors who are willing to help me on anything and everything. I totally feel community here — through my organizations, my friends, my professors, or my classes.

"During my first year, I was expecting to get my friends right away, but all good things take time. I would say it was my sophomore year when I started to love Miami, to the point where I could not stop talking about it. A lot of it is trial and error, with different things you find interesting as you finetune change to sharpen your focus.

"Academically, I checked the box for political science because I always had an interest in studying politics. Politics transcends everything we do. It's in face-to-face communication, getting a business deal, and understanding your constituents. By having my experience in political science it's enabled me to learn how to read and write and think critically, and I welcome the opportunity to do those things in any class."

Best Miami Experiences

"Christopher Kelly and Mark Morris in the Department of Political Science have been great, and I love working in the department. Throughout my time at Miami, I have had many different experiences, such as being a 2017 Altman Summer Scholar, a member of Chi Omega, a volunteer for Opening Minds Through Art, and an officer in the Panhellenic Association. Currently, I am the Chief Justice of the Student Court.

Lucy Eisgruber at the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco.

"These experiences have helped me shape who I am today. They taught me to learn how to communicate with others, making sure to be as transparent as possible, and to be a better listener. Always having an open ear and serving as a resource to people who have questions is super important.

"Whether it's been internships or extracurriculars or classes, all these experiences have narrowed my focus. I would love to study consumer behavior to learn why people choose the products they do and what's the reasoning behind it. I think there's just so much, and you can argue there's so much politics involved — there's price, there's preference, and I think that would continue to fuel my intellectual curiosity post-grad experience in market research or consumer behavior. Somewhere down the road, I am thinking about law school or an MBA."

Miami and the Liberal Arts

"At the start of my freshman year I wanted to get into the Farmer School of Business. Looking back, I'm glad I decided to stick with political science because it's very relevant today. As I mentioned, politics kind of transcends everything in society. People often say you need a specific major to be successful, but I would argue that it doesn't matter about your major — it matters how hard you work and what passion you bring to it.

"The world is very data driven. Business is the market, but there are so many important minds and perspectives that can also get left out. That's where I think it's important to pursue a degree in the liberal arts because you are well-rounded — you take two years of language, 10 hours of science. I've taken as many political science writing courses as I can about different topics. I don't shy away when there's a paper I have to write, and it's key that you learn about current events and become well-versed in a wide array of topics that don't just pertain to your industry.

"Some of my favorite classes include Marketing 325 - Consumer Behavior, which piqued my interest in doing consumer and market research. I also took POL 345 - Constitutional Conversation, in which we dissected the Constitution, particularly the Bill of Rights, and it was super interesting and stimulating. As for electives, I really enjoyed a history class on post-World War II as well as an entrepreneurship class with the Altman Scholar program."

Promoting Rules and Standards as Leader in Miami's Student Court and Panhellenic Association

Members of Miami's Panhellenic Executive Board pose at a conference (Lucy Eisgruber in back row, far right).

"I've always had an interest in the law for community safety and wellness. During my sophomore year I attended a leadership retreat, Acropolis, that was hosted by the Cliff Alexander Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life. There I met many like-minded individuals wanting to change the community in some way, and it was a great motivational environment.

"My first leadership position at Miami was running for positions in my sorority, Chi Omega, where I realized that I wanted to make it an experience for everyone, to help people feel safe, happy, and content. This led me to Miami's Panhellenic Association, where I could give that message to the whole Greek community.

"I am currently vice president of standards of the Panhellenic Association, overseeing all the Greek women's sororities on campus. Essentially we're the largest women's organization at Miami. I oversee what's being approved, what's not being approved, all in coordination with standards chairs and presidents. If anything goes wrong, usually I'm one of the first people to talk to, working hand-in-hand with the Panhellenic president to be a resource for people to do things the right way.

"Being close with the student community is the whole point of it. Greek life is in a precarious place across the nation, so we try to be an example for what are we doing right. As long as we can maintain that good image and strive to be better than we were the year before, I feel we're doing our job.

"I'm also chief justice for the Student Court, where we hear non-suspendable violations — mostly students that are charged with violating Miami's Code of Student Conduct, whether it's academic dishonesty or alcohol intoxication. We deliberate and hear different perspectives from fellow justices to arrive at a decision.

"In these roles I've learned to find common ground. Communication is big. You have to follow up with people and be assertive. It never hurts to remind people and being a good resource for them, as it's important to let them know they can trust you and ask questions. I try to be be proactive instead of reactive. I also learned how to balance my time while getting my coursework done. I'm excited to see what it turns into after college."

Advice to Students

"Number one, maximize your time here, whether you have a job, an independent study, or membership in a bunch of clubs. Number two, intern early and often. If I did not have my internship experiences I would have no idea which direction to go to, so finetune your interests. Number three, you are who your friends are, so find a good group of friends. If your friends are not representing who you are as a person, it's OK to figure that out. And number four, make time for yourself — whether it's working out, cooking, socializing. All of these things are important for your own mental health.

"One last piece of advice is that it doesn't matter what you major in. Do what you really want to do, and enjoy it!"

[January 2019]