• News |  
• Articles |  
• Joseph Weston turns passion for politics into a global future

First-generation Auburn student turns passion for politics into a global future

Joseph Weston, a political science student from Heflin, Alabama, chose Auburn for its proximity to home, substantial financial assistance and strong engineering program. Little did he know it would lead to newfound dreams of working in political science.

Weston started as an aerospace engineering major, got involved in the rocketry association, competed with model rockets and wrote code for NASA. In his sophomore year, Weston took Global Politics and Issues with Associate Professor Pëllumb Kelmendi, and realized he wanted to broaden his horizons.

“The summer after my freshman year, my grandma was diagnosed with cancer and it really affected my family,” Weston said. “It made me realize life is finite and I wanted to do something I really wanted to enjoy.”

That spring, Weston changed his major to Political Science with a concentration in International Relations. His academic exploration didn't stop there. After taking an anthropology class, Weston discovered yet another one of his passions.

“The first class I ever took at Auburn was anthropology and I just liked it so much. I didn't really know what it was before,” Weston said. “I think it's pretty important to study the human condition and our systems, which really helps me excel in political science as well.”

As a first-generation college student, with neither his parents nor his four older brothers having completed college, Weston relied heavily on the opportunities and resources available to him at Auburn.

“I use pretty much every resource afforded to me here,” Weston said. “I used the campus career closet for a suit because I couldn't afford a suit. If it hadn't been for the scholarships the College of Liberal Arts gave me, I probably wouldn't have been able to go to Auburn at all.”

Throughout college, Weston has worked six different jobs, including valet, canvasser for a House of Representatives seat in Montgomery, car wash attendant, car dealership detailer and Grubhub delivery driver.

“Consistently having to work has made me grateful that I'm getting a college degree so that I can continue to do work that I feel like I can make a difference in,” Weston said. “It's helped me learn how to resolve conflicts with coworkers, customers and how to be a team player.”

Through classes and extracurriculars, Weston developed a close relationship with Senior Lecturer Matthew Clary, who has since become both a mentor and a key influence in his academic journey.

“Professor Clary reached out to me about officer positions for a club that he was trying to get started on campus: Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society,” Weston said. “I was lucky enough to be appointed president, and through a lot of hard work, we were recipients of the National Best Chapter of the Year Award for 2025.”

Pi Sigma Alpha gives students who are interested in the study of politics a place to find community. Through networking opportunities, speaker events and philanthropic initiatives, Pi Sigma Alpha provides a place for students and faculty to come together and collaborate.

“My real goal for the organization is to help more people like me my freshman year to find their purpose, while also benefiting their career goals and futures as well,” Weston said.

The certificate in National Security and Intelligence was just getting developed when Weston started at Auburn and he knew it was an opportunity he couldn't pass up. The 15-credit hour program provides students with specialized coursework, preparing them with analytical skills and credentials for careers in government and defense-related fields.

With the certificate comes the opportunity to study abroad in Brussels, Belgium, for six weeks and earn up to nine of the certificate's required credits.

“I've always been fascinated by different cultures, languages and peoples, but I had never been outside of the U.S.,” Weston said. “When I first heard about this opportunity, I thought that I could never participate due to finances. But through the new scholarship, Plains to Peaks, and the generous departmental scholarships I received through CLA, I was able to study abroad.

“It was probably the greatest experience of my life, to be honest. I got to live with a French-speaking host family, visit the European Parliament, the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime and NATO,” Weston said. “I got to meet 12 people that although we went to the same school, I had never met and are people I will be friends with for the rest of my life.”

Weston also works as a research assistant with Assistant Professor Kal Munis, helping create a database of political party staffers in the United States and their educational backgrounds to study how elite university attendance may influence political party operations.

After graduation, Joey plans to attend the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University to pursue a master’s degree in international affairs. He hopes to work in public service in a role that allows him to travel internationally and make a difference in people's lives.

“I remember when my grandmother was diagnosed, she said she wanted to live long enough to see two things: she wanted to take her great-granddaughter to the beach and she wanted to see me walk across the stage,” Weston said. “I plan on taking part of her with me when I graduate and walk across the stage.”

Support students like Joseph Weston by giving to CLA scholarships.

Tags: Political Science Students