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Adversity is nothing new to international student Nazo Karhan, a first-year student in George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government’s government and international politics program. Whether it’s being raised in a cesspool of political corruption in Turkey and crossing the world to study in an ever-increasingly polarized America or being a woman navigating the waters of a male-dominated field, she’s remains persistently resilient.
Today, Turkey is controlled by an authoritarian leader and is overrun with significant poverty, high inflation, and entrenched division solidifying itself in ethnic, religious, and culture issues.
But, Karhan said, being raised in a place “with a lot of political polarization taught me a lot. I saw both extremes and learned to adapt quickly to any situation.”
She recognizes that Turkey was a place for her to absorb a rich culture of history, tradition, and the type of community bonds you find in the movies.
A fond memory from Çandarli’s coastal İzmir province, with a population of about 8,000, was being “so close to the sea, it gave me plenty of time to enjoy nature, reflect, and develop a calm, grounded mindset,” she said. “It really contributed to my personal growth and shaped my character.”
That very dichotomy of pain and love for Turkey shaped Karhan’s interest in political science and influenced her decision to major in international politics. It is reflected in her classwork.
“Nazo is the kind of student any professor would like to have in their classroom,” said Assistant Professor J. Luis Rodriguez, who teaches international security and law at the Schar School. “She’s always attentive and prepared in class, asks excellent questions that move the conversation forward, and comes to office hours when she doesn't understand something.”
In the summer of 2024 as a rising senior in high school, Karhan had the opportunity to put that passion for learning and politics into practice as an intern at the School of Public Service program at St. Albans School in Washington, D.C.
During the four-week program, she attended NATO’s 75th anniversary panel on Maritime Security and Next-Generation Technologies and tour Capitol Hill and the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.
She also engaged with in-field case studies, the most noteworthy being an analysis of the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. Her team evaluated several potential scenarios considering political, strategic, ethical, and philosophical implications of each theoretical outcome.
“It was intense,” she said of the experience. “Almost eight hours of classes a day on law, public policy, governance, and crisis management. Being in D.C. and seeing how policy works in real life was eye-opening—it made everything we learned in class feel really real.”
Now, as a student at the Schar School, Karhan has her sights set on the future. Her main goal is to become a policy analyst and be taken seriously in a field frequently noted as being male dominated.
“Growing up in a patriarchal society [in Turkey], I understand how important this is, and it motivates me to do my best,” she said. “I want to be someone people can rely on for real advice and insights, showing that women can lead and influence in policy.
“Ultimately, I hope to shape policies that are fair, effective, and impactful, while inspiring more girls to follow a similar path.”