Scholarship Helps Future Policymaker Thrive

For Maria Sarmiento, a 22-year-old political science major at EWU, receiving a surprise notification via the student portal opened the door to a career-building internship.

Sarmiento, who transferred to Eastern from Big Bend Community College, received one of four EWU Retirees Association Golden Eagle scholarships awarded this past academic year.

“It was a huge shock to me,” Sarmiento says. “I didn’t really expect to get it at all. But I’m incredibly grateful. I think it has definitely helped me to succeed.”

The award made it possible for Sarmiento to pursue a Washington Legislative Internship in Olympia during senior year. With the retirees’ scholarship contributing to essential costs, such as rent, Sarmiento was able to spend the winter quarter conducting research and policy analysis for the Senate Democratic Caucus.

“I did a lot of research for different senators and different bills. I had an absolute blast working for the Caucus,” Sarmiento says. “My favorite project was working on Early Child Care Access Deserts for the honorable senator of the 30th Legislative District. It was a lot of fun.”

On campus, Sarmiento is embedded in the EWU community, serving as an associate justice for the Associated Students of EWU (ASEWU) and holding leadership roles, including vice president in the university’s Asian Student Association.

In addition to being part of the Honors Program, Sarmiento is a McNair Scholar, which inspired her to pursue graduate studies. Sarmiento’s research is focused on the ideological root of stigma and how that affects educational policies for foster children.

Sarmiento eventually wants to pursue a doctoral degree to expand on her McNair Research as a potential dissertation topic. After graduating in June, she plans to take a gap year to work and to return to Thailand to visit childhood friends.

Sarmiento, who worked as a preschool teacher before arriving at Eastern, intends to focus on a career in education policy – making a difference for K-12 students and working toward increasing access to higher education.

“I think Eastern has just kind of helped me solidify what I want as a person and what I want as a professional.”

To learn about the many ways you can make a difference for hardworking students like Sarmiento, please visit EWU/Give.