Liam Mayer

Background

About Liam Mayer

When I first graduated from a Governor's School for the Arts and moved onto university, I had no idea where my skills as a visual artist would take me. Now passionate about human rights and refugee advocacy, I am forever grateful for my background in the arts, as I feel my approach to problem solving is deeply influenced by my creativity and inclination to think outside the box. At the University of California, Berkeley, I am pursuing a BA in Global studies, concentrating on Peace & Conflict Studies in Europe and Russia, with Russian Minor, on track to graduate in spring 2023. Berkeley has not only enhanced my hard skills and linguistics—where I've studied Russian, Ukrainian, and French—but also my critical thinking. As President of a Professional Foreign Service and International Relations fraternity, I lead an executive committee to oversee the operations of our entire chapter of 50. I had my taste of U.S. politics as well, working as Lead Intern of Abigail Spanberger's Congressional Re-Election Campaign for Virginia's 7th in 2020. I am endlessly impressed by the hard work and drive that goes into running a campaign—my seven months with this team felt nonstop! Managing a team of 30 interns, training hundreds of volunteers in phone banking and canvassing, and contacting thousands of voters felt grueling at times, but was well worth the hard work. No matter where I am or what I find myself doing, I pride myself on keeping my passion for the arts alive. I am currently involved with the Fashion And Student Trends group on Campus, the Cal Ballroom competition team, and just finished working as the Design Lead for TROIKA Slavic Undergraduate Journal. Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg, as I believe there are endless ways to bring art into our lives, no matter how big or small.