Northern Illinois University
Department of Political Science
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

DaLisa Barnes
Dean of Humanities, DRW College Preparatory High School, Chicago, IL

Joining the Political Science Department gave me more than knowledge of American Government, Constitutional Law, and Political Theory; I was given a view of the world. I was able to obtain a department-sponsored scholarship which aided me in being able to take my first international trip to study abroad at Oxford University with Professor Schraufnagel.

While abroad, I was able to visit several countries and had the unique opportunity to extensively reflect on my life's purpose. I realized my goal was to liberate marginalized persons via education, as my own education had opened the proverbial door for me. My studies at NIU equipped me with the knowledge to obtain a graduate degree in Global Development and Social Justice from St. John's University. Subsequently, I was granted an opportunity to become a teacher in several countries and now domestically with the nonprofit, Teach for America. I am now the Dean of Humanities at DRW College Preparatory High School in Chicago, IL.