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Growing up in a politically oriented family, Dario Esquibel-Melanson, SIS/BA ’25, knew that he wanted to pursue a future career in politics and policy.

After interning with a local representative from his home state of Colorado in high school, it became clear to Esquibel-Melanson that Washington, DC, was exactly where he wanted to spend his college years.

“I’ve always been pretty interested in politics,” Esquibel-Melanson said. “My parents and my grandparents really created this love for community and being involved in the political and policy side. That’s why I wanted to come to American University.”

Throughout the past four years, Esquibel-Melanson has been pursuing a bachelor’s degree in international studies at the School of International Service (SIS) with hopes of applying a global lens to domestic policy work. He will be graduating in the Class of 2025 and has been selected to deliver the undergraduate student speech at this year’s spring commencement celebration on May 9.

Building Community on Campus

With its reputation as a school of international affairs, Esquibel-Melanson said he had consistently heard “how amazing the SIS program was” before even stepping on campus. Knowing that he wanted to pursue a career in politics, Esquibel-Melanson chose to major in international studies.

“I always had the perspective that I could do political science, but in order to do it effectively, I’d want to have some other background,” he said. “I have loved what I’ve learned, loved the global [perspective], and have become really passionate about this area of focus.”

In addition to developing a passion for international studies, Esquibel-Melanson also found a strong community within SIS. Whether it was joining study groups with classmates to work on assignments for his International Economics class or sharing treats made by Professor Shadi Mokhtari for Nowruz, Esquibel-Melanson said he’s had experiences that set SIS apart from other schools.

“The SIS community has always been something that really stuck out to me,” Esquibel-Melanson said. “It really feels like there is a larger community within the school that you can always rely on.”

Outside of the classroom, Esquibel-Melanson’s undergraduate experience stretched far and wide. In his time on campus, he has served as the co-president of AU’s record label, Second District Records, was a member of the ultimate frisbee team, and has served as AU’s Red Bull Ambassador since his freshman year.

“You really cannot walk through the campus without receiving so many opportunities to get involved,” Esquibel-Melanson said. “I truly love AU, and specifically the community at AU. I’ve had such a great time these past four years.”

To Commencement and Beyond

Through his commencement speech, Esquibel-Melanson said he hopes to inspire his fellow graduates to remember they can use their education and experiences to make a difference in their local communities.

“As international studies students, we are focused on addressing, fixing, and solving these really big issues, but I want us to take the time to focus on our local communities as we are doing that,” Esquibel-Melanson said. “Focus on your local communities as we’re addressing these large-scale problems.”

At this time, Esquibel-Melanson hopes to stay in DC after graduation and is in the process of applying for jobs post-graduation. Looking ahead, Esquibel-Melanson says he plans to carry with him all the lessons that he has learned throughout his studies at SIS.

“SIS has really informed the scope of my understanding [on international affairs],” said Esquibel-Melanson. “I really feel like no matter which area I work, even if it’s not international affairs, I’m still going to bring everything I know about the international system to make decisions.”