Maha Sohail Alhomoud
UW Honors Graduates
Maha Sohail Alhomoud

Political Science: Political Economy
Designation: Departmental Honors
Honors Grads 2020/2021
Proudest Moment: Officially establishing the ASUW Office of International Student Advocacy (OISA)!
alhumoudmaha@gmail.comI'm a graduating senior in Political Economy and an international student from Saudi Arabia. On my first day of first-year year, I was diagnosed with blood cancer, and had to undergo chemotherapy and take classes at the same time. My battle with cancer has led me to change my major multiple times, which I'm thankful for, as it led me to political science and research. I was an undergraduate research fellow for the Center of American Politics and Public Policy (CAPPP) at UW, and I'm currently working on my second thesis, which traces state-building and taxation in Saudi Arabia. I am also an undergraduate research assistant in the Political Science Department to Kenya Amano, Ph.C., working a project about central bank independence.
Outside of my studies, I am a passionate advocate for international student representation and inclusion. This year, I co-chaired the ASUW International Students' Engagement and Advocacy Taskforce as a Mary Gates Leadership Scholar. In the upcoming year, I will be working in Washington, D.C., as a James C. Gaither Junior Fellow in the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Middle East Center. In the future, I hope to pursue my graduate studies through a dual degree of law and political science, combining knowledge, leadership, and advocacy.