Research Rookies Student Profiles
Name: Krystal Wiley
Cohort: Sophomore/Transfer Research Rookie
Major: International Politics
Hometown: Plano, Illinois
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Christopher Jones
Krystal Wiley is a mother of three who commutes an hour to and from NIU every day that she has class. Originally intending to be a Biology major, she read some Political Sciences pieces, and knew that it was something she wanted to pursue. Now, she is working with the Associate Vice Provost of the Honors Program, Dr. Chris Jones, who is also a professor in the Political Science department. Krystal initially met Dr. Jones when he became her mentor through an NIU mentoring program, so continuing with him as a research mentor seemed like a good progression. Krystal is happy to be working with Dr. Jones because he is very accomplished in his field, makes her feel comfortable, helps her with her writing, and supports her in her project every step of the way.
For her Research Rookies project, Krystal is studying how Hillary Clinton fulfills her role as Secretary of State. Krystal is especially interested in learning more about how Clinton balances her numerous positions and about her contributions during her time as the Secretary of State. Once Krystal has determined the extent and nature of her role as the Secretary of State, Krystal will compare Clinton to past Secretaries to identify important and successful components of her term in office.
Following her completion of an International Politics major and a Chinese minor, Krystal would like to continue on and earn a Master’s degree in Political Science. She would love to work for the CIA someday, and knows that even her accomplishments now can help her toward that goal, which is why she decided on Research Rookies. The program has already helped her to network in her field, think critically about politics, and open doors for even more future opportunities.
Krystal on what being a Research Rookie means: “Being a Research Rookie means being able to open up my mind and learn out of my comfort zone about something that relates to my major. It also opens up new doors and opportunities that I wouldn't have had otherwise, such as meeting other students and an accomplished mentor.”