Jazzalin Grindle (CAS’24) is studying political science with a minor in deaf studies. Originally from Marshfield, Massachusetts, she serves as a senator for College of Arts & Sciences Student Government, Co-Chair for the BU Student Government Mental Health Committee (MHC), and as a member of the BU Doubletake film club.
Following graduation, Grindle plans to attend law school.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
How do you balance extracurriculars and classes? Do you have any secret tricks?
It definitely took me some getting used to, but I like to be busy. I don’t enjoy sitting around doing nothing. I was always busy in high school too. I don’t let myself get to a point where it’s too much, because that is something I did in high school. When I came to college, I knew I still wanted to be a part of a lot because I like getting to do some work in different communities. But I also make sure I take the time to do my homework of course, but also just sit back. It’s usually nighttime when I will kind of just chill. So that way I don’t drive myself crazy. And I always make sure I don’t have anything planned on Saturdays. That’s the day where I can have fun or I can just relax if I need to.
Are there any particular classes from CAS or a particular professor that has had a substantial impact on what you plan to do?
Yes. Oh my gosh. Okay. I have to think of all the professors I’ve had in poli sci because I’ve taken so many obviously. One that I actually had for the first time last semester and I wish I took more classes with her was Professor Mattioli. I just really loved her teaching style, and it seems like she really cares about us too which is really nice. That was for PO301, which is Presidential Leadership. We learned about the presidency in America. She was just an excellent professor. I also had a class with Professor Piston in my sophomore year. It was just such an incredible class. I think he’s just so talented. And I felt like he actually cared about us too, which is something that’s very important to me. All the professors at BU are so intelligent, obviously because they have their jobs here. But when a professor takes the extra step towards making a connection with us, that always stands out.
What issues have inspired you? What motivates you to do all this important work?
I actually didn’t really know what I wanted to study until I was maybe a sophomore in high school. Throughout my life, I was actually more of an artsy kind of kid. I danced, I participated in a bunch of music classes, but I also really had a love for history. And as I got older, I knew I wanted to do something that allowed me to help someone. Again, I loved history so much. So originally I was like, ‘oh, maybe I’ll go into politics.’ That’s definitely still something that I’ll always consider because it’s very important, no matter what level of politics you’re at. But I started to learn a little bit more about the Supreme Court and that’s actually what got me interested in law because all those precedents are so interesting. And the fact that you can interpret the Constitution in so many different ways is interesting. I started researching different kinds of law. I ended up at civil litigation, which is something that I’m currently considering as my field, which is like being in the courtroom, being able to argue for people to help them out. And when I was looking at the majors at BU I saw political science, and I knew this would be a good way to really get a good understanding under my belt before I go to law school. There are so many different courses you can take with this major. You can study any kind of anything before going into law, as long as you are able to prove that you have good reading skills, and you’re able to write things out clearly. Basically, as long as you have a good understanding of something under your belt that you can use toward your future. And politics is kind of what I chose for that.
What is the most rewarding thing you’ve done here at BU?
Such a good question. I feel like every time I get asked I give a different answer, which is so funny. So this is something that actually isn’t fully complete yet, but it’s getting a lot of work done right now. As I mentioned earlier, I’m one of the co-chairs in the mental health committee. And first of all, just being one of the co chairs is something I’m so incredibly proud of, and I’m so honored to have the chance to do this, because I joined MHC when I was a freshman. So getting all the way to my last semester here at BU for undergrad is so rewarding to see all the work that I’ve done. One initiative we’ve been working on since I entered MHC is about trauma-informed teaching. We want the classroom spaces at BU to be a bit more welcoming and have a better environment. We are at a university that teaches such high level things. And sometimes that can be topics that are a bit triggering to some people. So we’re actually developing a panel, which I’m really excited to actually see as like a physical event for this initiative. The entire committee has done such amazing work for this. So I just get more and more excited the closer we get to this. I feel like we’ve done so much research. We’ve spent a lot of time defining different terms. People understand it, and I’m already proud of the work that isn’t even complete.
Where do you see yourself in 5, 10, and 20 years?
So in five years, if all goes well, I’ll be two years out of law school. So it would be my hope that I am at a good law firm by that point. Right now, I’m leaning towards civil litigation. So it’d be really nice if I’m practicing in that field, but if not, that’s okay. I just hope that in five years, I’m practicing law and I’m happy with it.
In 10 years, oh, gosh, that’s so crazy to think about. I really hope I’ll still be practicing, maybe at a higher firm or maybe with a higher position where I start out. I hope I’m still in Boston though. I really love the city. So it’s my goal to live here when I’m older. I think it’d be really nice to have a family outside of Boston, where we can still easily come in.
And 20 years did you say? Oh my gosh, I’ll be 42, wow. I hope I’m practicing as long as I can. I really have such a passion for law. I think it’s so intriguing. Maybe in 20 years, I’ll start my own law firm. I’ll set a high goal for myself so I have something to keep working toward. I think you should always have good goals for yourself. Yeah, we’ll go with that. And when I go into the future, and I become a lawyer, I really would like to help anyone I can, especially those minority groups, because someone has to speak for them. It would be an honor to get to help out. I just like to help people, which sounds so cliche.
How did you choose BU?
I have a bit of an individual kind of story when it comes to BU. I’m from Massachusetts originally. I’m like 40 minutes south of here, from Marshfield, which is this cute little beach town that I love dearly. My nana is an alum of Boston University. Growing up, my cousins and I got to take turns coming to the men’s hockey games because she was a season ticket holder. My first game was when I was three years old. And there’s a picture of me next to the Rhett mascot, who looked a little different back then, but was still pretty cute. And I think when I was five, I said to my parents and my nana ‘I’m gonna go to BU. I’m gonna go to college at Boston University.’ And I think all of my cousins said that at least once but for some reason I kept with it. It got to the point where I really had to start thinking about college in all seriousness, and I was like, ‘Okay, well, I’ve always said I’m gonna go to BU, why don’t I actually look and check it out?’ I looked on the website, I did a college tour, which I brought my nana to because I thought she would enjoy that. And I fell in love. I really just loved all the programs that are offered. I’m also a really big baseball fan. So the fact that we’re so close to Fenway, it just felt like such a special place. I stepped on the campus and I immediately could tell like this is where I was meant to be.
Interview by Kelly Broder (COM’27)