Tatiana Babcock formerly attended Andrews from 2020 to 2022 where she majored in Political Science and International Affairs. After leaving Andrews, Tatiana attended community college and then transferred to DePaul University. She has interned for the Cook County university ambassador and worked in the office of student visits, while double majoring in States Attorney’s Campaign, the Illinois State Senate, the Lieutenant Governor of Illinois Juliana Stratton, the Democratic Party of Illinois, and held a fellowship with WorldChicago, an organization that teaches Citizen Diplomacy, and is the community based partner for the United States Department of State. She has also managed a slate of municipal candidates this past election cycle, and all her candidates won their seats. At the moment, she is the Amtrak Government Affairs intern over the Midwest division, overseeing nine states, and continuously traveling to meet with various legislators. Additionally, she is on the Junior Board of Lurie Children’s Hospital, the Chicago Young Professionals Committee, and sits on the board of an education cooperative. In her spare time, Tatiana can be found mentoring, teaching government and economics to inner city youth, and exploring the Chicago food scene.
I was asked to reflect on the lessons I’ve learned since transferring out of Andrews. There is one thing I feel necessary to clarify: my family has deep roots within Adventism. We were the second missionary family to be sent to the continent of Africa, and several of my relatives have held long careers in the church, working as educators. The decision for me to leave Adventist education was a difficult one, but ultimately it was the right decision for me. That being said, Andrews provides many opportunities for students to thrive and gain new experiences. I will always credit the school with helping foster my interest in international affairs and humanitarian service.
The lessons I share here are reflective of my journey. While I transferred out of AU, I have many fond memories there and met many incredible people. My goal with sharing these lessons is in the hope that other students who may not know where to start may find some inspiration. I ask that anyone who reads my experiences to the end understands that it’s OK to have an unconventional college experience. Many times, the most unique experiences are what end up becoming our fuel.
1) I had to learn to be okay with falling flat on my face. If you asked any of my professors that I had at Andrews if they thought I was going to make it in politics, the answer would have been a resounding no. I will be the first to tell you, I am not the academic that many in my family are. I enjoy school, but I am not the best at it. What I am good at is hustling. When I left AU, I realized how competitive the government space was, so one day I worked up the courage to ambush one of my professors to mentor me. I didn’t know what I was doing, but I asked him for coffee. He is a Harvard Kennedy School graduate and had a very good career in government, and is now one of my closest friends. In fact, last month I was able to give back, and I took him to see Vice President Kamala Harris, along with my parents.
2) Your time in college is very small in comparison to the time you’ll spend in your career. I don't care what your advisor tells you; you’d better be looking at internships ASAP. Because guess what? There are students at universities all over the country that are going to be competing for the same jobs you want. They may be graduating with six to eight internships, a fellowship, published research, and strong recommendation letters. I will never forget getting turned away from an internship because I didn’t have at least seven preliminary internship experiences. The world is a lot bigger than the SDA bubble, and it’s a lot bigger than AU.
3) I can’t speak to other majors, but in government, you have got to be willing to sacrifice. There is very little work/life balance, and the stress can be significant. I have been in situations where my safety was in question. It is a completely different world and one that requires you to perform with excellence with very little margin for error. I have contacts at every level of government and industry that are mine. No one else can say that they got those for me.
4) As a woman in politics and government, particularly as an Adventist one, you’ve got to be comfortable being alone. You also have to be OK with being controversial. In my opinion, if you are an SDA woman in politics, you’re likely going to be viewed as potentially problematic; I say, embrace it. I have met maybe 10 Adventists working within the government space over the last year. There aren’t many of us to begin with, and even fewer are women.
5) Anyone who follows me on Instagram could tell you this, but I am big on mentors. I am also consistently telling my mentees and classrooms that I get invited to speak in that you need to be relentless. I, on average, applied to between 150-300 internships per semester. The spreadsheet I have for internships is crazy. I spent hours writing cover letters, tweaking my resume, and practicing for interviews. That also inherently means that I sacrificed a lot to be where I am today.
6) If you’re ambitious and maybe you want a career outside of the more traditional SDA pathways, get comfortable with being embarrassed. I’ve cold emailed CEOs and directors of government affairs to just ask them if they’d be willing to answer a couple of questions. I’ve gotten rejected way more than I’ve gotten accepted. However, now I have an all-star lineup when it comes to mentors.
7) Your behavior will elicit a question. I have had more conversations regarding my faith and God over the last year than I ever have before, especially when I have to explain why I cannot attend a Saturday event or where I went to high school. Sometimes we forget that the people we interact with every day may have no idea who God is, let alone what an Adventist is. Being in environments where we aren’t the minority is a really good way to spark conversation. I remember mission trip strategy meetings, where people would spend hours trying to understand the best way to reach a large number of people. That’s fantastic and it has its place, but in truth, there is so much need here, in smaller communities, in the office space next to yours, in the grocery store, etc.
8) When we view people as people and not as a project, there is a massive shift that happens. People become more open and trusting. I don’t force the conversation of religion or faith. I don’t view them as an odd thing that I need to rescue or fix or change. I know I am where God wants me to be because I get to show people a different version of Christ. What I wish more Christians knew is that a lot of people fear Christians immensely right now. For those of us who are dealing with the fallout of that every day, it's heartbreaking. My goal at the end of the day is to love them, and most times that doesn’t mean trying to convert them. It means just meeting them where they are because that’s what Jesus does.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.