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When Ana Barahona began her journey at �鶹��ý����, she didn’t imagine it would lead all the way to the United Nations. But at a campus just a train ride from New York City – and with the freedom to explore the overlap between politics, policy and ethics – she found access to the big‑picture climate debates she cared about.

When she steps across the graduation stage, she’ll earn a degree in Political Science with minors in Economics, Pre-Law Studies and Religious Studies, all completed in four years. “I’m just curious about everything,” she says. “I never wanted to limit myself. You need to do the things that make you afraid, because familiarity is not gonna take you anywhere.”

From �鶹��ý���� classroom to UN climate summit

UN and research opportunities began with one class and one professor who saw her potential. Religion Professor Julia Berger linked Barahona to the UN offices of the Baha’i International Community (BIC), a nongovernmental organization Berger herself once served.

In her internship in fall 2025, Barahona supported policy research on climate and sustainability and helped inform discussions at COP 30, the global climate conference in Belém, Brazil. The work was “a life-changing experience that I would have never gotten if I hadn’t had made that critical connection at �鶹��ý����,” she says. “It opened my eyes to how global policy decisions actually happen.”

Twice a week, she left campus before sunrise to make it possible. “I had to wake up at 5 in the morning so I could catch my train,” she says. Once she arrived at her New York City office, she researched connections between big‑picture climate science and questions of ethics, faith and political will – and how they can bring people together.

Connecting UN experience to Project AROS

Back on campus, Barahona continued to explore climate and justice through �鶹��ý����’s Project AROS Lab, investigating youth activism, memory politics and performative justice. The project looks at youth‑led movements like the Sunrise Movement and Fridays for Future, asking “how are they using digital tools to expand their message?”

Her academic path has evolved just as organically. “I had no plans to get three minors,” she says. Coursework led her to Religious Studies; family nudged her toward Law; and a frank conversation about the job market pushed her toward Business and Economics.

“There’s a huge intersectionality, especially with what you see in the news right now, between economics and politics, and that’s when I knew, this is exactly what I want to do,” she says.

Building community on campus

When Barahona arrived at �鶹��ý����, she didn’t yet realize how following a friend would change her life. Born in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, and raised in Highland Park, New Jersey, she wasn’t sure of her next steps. “At the time, I was going through such a hard period that I didn’t even know if college was possible for me,” she recalls. “My best friend convinced me to apply and that honestly changed everything.”

Becoming a resident assistant in Dinallo Heights gave her a home base and helped cover her housing as she sought out campus resources to stay on track. Most importantly, she learned to ask for help when she needed it. Her mother’s advice anchored that mindset: “You need to run towards the things that embarrass you. You need to do the things that make you afraid, because familiarity is not going to take you anywhere.”

What comes next

After graduation, Barahona will head to Rowan University as a graduate assistant in Residence Life while pursuing her MBA. “This is going to sound ambitious, but I do see myself going to law school and then getting a PhD sometime down the road. I love research, so I would love to continue to do that.”

Her professors say they can already see that future taking shape. “I think that very often we assume we know what the students need to know, but might be less attentive to their worlds, their concerns and questions arising from their cultural and generational contexts,” Berger says. “Ana bridged that gap; she brought the lessons to life and helped students to see the significance and implications of the material. And she also has a gift for finding engaging social media content to get across complex points.”

Barahona is realistic about what lies ahead. “There are always barriers. But you can never let a barrier, whether it’s financial, family situations, or whatever the case is, stop you. If you know this is what you want and you know this is the path you’re going, you will remove any barrier possible.”

This story is part of a series celebrating �鶹��ý����’s graduates – students who embody the University’s mission to broaden access to exceptional learning opportunities and contribute to the common good.