Each year, our sophomore Tower Scholars sit down with the NexPoint Tower Scholar seniors to interview them so that they can create a “Senior Spotlight” blog post highlighting the senior’s unique story. Seniors share their journeys to develop a well-informed perspective on policymaking and international affairs through a combination of theory and practice in the program, alongside their multidisciplinary major courses of study. The conversations captured reflect the experience of our scholars and their learnings not only in the Tower Center but at SMU overall.
Samuel Rodick ’26 interviewed Alex Alarcon ’24 to learn more about his time as a NexPoint Tower Scholar to understand how the program has fostered his interest in policy and prepared him for his future education and career.
A senior graduating in 2024, currently majoring in history and political science and minoring in public policy and international affairs, Alex hopes to apply to law school in September, taking a gap year to gain work experience at a law firm or in government.
Why did you want to be a Tower Scholar?
I learned about the Tower Scholars Program after applying to SMU but before I decided to come here. I knew that if I was going to come here that I definitely wanted to be a Tower Scholar! I wanted to be a Tower Scholar because I’ve always loved political science and I wanted to learn more about tangible applications of it and about public policy. I also liked the debate aspect and the trip to D.C. The program has so many awesome appeals, and it’s more than just a classroom experience. My hopes definitely came true when I became a Tower Scholar and I’ve had a great time.
Alex, I know you serve as Student Body President, how has being a Tower Scholar impacted your career in student government?
My experience with the program definitely complimented it, as through the Tower Scholars Program I was able to learn about leadership skills and leadership models. In the Theoretical Frameworks class, we learned about President Bush and his cabinet and had the opportunity to practically apply our skills working with a client. For example, we have worked with the City of Trinidad and their mayor. There are all these small and practical things that you learn along the way. Also, being with nine other people in my cohort who are all very smart and capable people definitely helped me with thinking through things and helped me become a more well-rounded student, which allowed me to handle Senate from a more organizational standpoint. Furthermore, when I was running for student body president, my cohort, the staff, and the professors were all extremely supportive and gave me advice. They were all really patient with me, too, when I had all of these conflicts. I’ll always be extremely grateful because they helped me achieve my goals inside and outside of the Center. I’d also like to thank the Tower Center’s Board of Directors who are a great group of people who really care about the students and what they’re learning. The Tower Center is really a place on campus like no other.
What was the most fulfilling experience you’ve had as a Tower Scholar?
Definitely the trip to Washington, D.C. It happened at a pivotal time in my college experience when I was looking into what I wanted to do after college. Being able to visit so many departments in D.C.—like the Subdepartment of Economic Development, the Department of Agriculture—and working with the staff of a congressman’s office and seeing the inner workings of some offices in D.C. was really eye-opening. Also, the camaraderie and fun that my cohort and I had was enriching. It was an intense three days, though, but I think it pushed us to grind through the days and all the meetings which made us a lot smarter so that we could help our client, the City of Trinidad, throughout the rest of the semester. It was cool to get that inside look and to learn from Professor Kenzie and Professor Galui, as Professor Galui had so much experience with D.C. that he was able to give us an insider’s guide. It was really fun and definitely my favorite memory from the program.
Where was your senior practicum and how has that prepared you for your future career?
My senior practicum was with the Texas-Mexico Center with Professor Apperti, and it was really fun. Basically, we looked at my favorite public policy subject in international affairs, which is trade between Mexico and the U.S. I got to develop a map to trace Mexican businesses and their headquarters as well as their business with Texas. Then we kept developing a database that we had and through the symposium that they host annually I got to meet a lot of Mexican businessmen in Texas, lawyers, and public officials. It was truly a holistic experience. It had a very flexible work environment, but I feel that I got to take full advantage of the entire Tower Center by doing my practicum with the Texas-Mexico Center. I’d never had the experience of doing remote work; I’d meet once a week with Professor Apperti and the rest had to be on my own time, so I had to learn how to do research to a new extent with public information. I met with the librarians at the Business Library and at Fondren, and they helped me develop even better research skills to find more information. Going into a world where we might have a hybrid work model or not, it was good to gain experience working in an atypical setting and being able to work on my own, especially with the demanding schedule that I have.
How has being a Tower Scholar prepared you for a future career in law and/or government?
I’ve received a lot of great advice from Professor Newton, for example, who practiced law, and there are so many attorneys that I’ve met through the Program who have given me advice. The research skills that I’ve learned and the oral debates that we’ve had have provided me with skills that I’ll be able to use in law school and beyond. Also, the demanding academic quality will help me in law school as well.