Meet Our Students: Celebrating Success Stories |Varshini Ramansivakumar

For Ramansivakumar, political science offered a way to understand something that had always fascinated her: the forces that shape how people and societies think, act and see the world. She was drawn to the study of political structures and institutions, and to how politics and history influence values at both the individual and national level.

“Political science granted me an avenue to explore these topics,” she says, “while providing additional knowledge on political theory and conceptual frameworks to understand other issues that may not be explicitly taught in our courses.”

That curiosity sharpened in Political Science 2538: Social Justice, taught by Professor Finneron-Burns. The course brought together political theory, ethics and real-world application, allowing Ramansivakumar to engage with complex issues that continue to shape public conversations.

The experience did more than deepen her understanding of social justice. It helped her discover an academic interest of her own.

Through essays and classroom discussions, she explored topics including immigration, gender identity and racial identity, learning how to articulate complex ideas while applying theoretical frameworks to specific cases. “It was the combination of the content and this style of assignment that allowed me to realize my interest in the overlap between political theory and ethics,” she says.

That interest has continued to grow through research. Ramansivakumar has completed a capstone project for the U.S. College Board examining South Asian panethnicity and worked as a research analyst with the Leadership and Democracy Lab. Together, these experiences introduced her to the practical side of research, from methodology and interviews to analysis, synthesis, report writing and oral defence.

While her capstone project strengthened her ability to develop and conduct interviews and select methodologies suited to specific research goals, her work with the Leadership and Democracy Lab allowed her to collaborate with peers while developing her quantitative research and analysis skills.

“From these experiences, I was able to learn the fundamental skills required for qualitative research, report writing, analysis, synthesis, and oral defence,” she says. More importantly, the projects helped her discover “my love for research.”

For Ramansivakumar, learning at Western has extended well beyond the classroom. The Writing Support Centre has become one of the resources she values most as a Political Science student, particularly because strong research and writing skills are central to her coursework.

When she arrived in first year, she wasn’t yet confident in writing a thesis statement. With support from the centre, she learned how to build one effectively and has carried those skills into her work ever since.

“Writing support centres have vastly improved my ability to convey my research-based arguments most efficiently and effectively,” she says, adding that the staff’s ability to tailor their guidance to individual students makes the support especially valuable.

Her commitment to learning is matched by her commitment to community. Ramansivakumar has been involved with The Social Contract, a student-led undergraduate journal showcasing Political Science research, and serves as AVP Advocacy with the Social Science Student Council. She has also spent two years as an Ontario Hall soph, a role that has become one of the most meaningful parts of her Western experience.

As a soph, she has supported first-year students as they navigate the transition to university, helping them build friendships, find their place in residence and feel part of an inclusive community. At times, she has simply been the person students turn to when they need advice.

That experience has helped Ramansivakumar grow as both a leader and mentor while allowing her to make a difference in the everyday student experience.

Across her academic and extracurricular experiences, one theme continues to emerge: growth through perspective. Her time in Social Science has encouraged her to look beyond surface-level explanations, question assumptions and engage with ideas different from her own.

“I have also grown much more confident in my ability to express my ideas, engage in discussions with my peers, and consider perspectives I may not have considered previously,” she says.

For Ramansivakumar, that may be one of the most lasting lessons of her Western experience — becoming a more confident, independent and critical thinker, equipped not only to understand the world, but to ask better questions about it.

Stay tuned for more inspiring stories in our Meet Our Students: Celebrating Success Stories series, and follow us on social media to see how our students are shaping the future.