Standing in Washington, D.C., surrounded by policymakers, nonprofit leaders and advocates, Chelsea Afadzi realized that the policies she once studied were shaping real lives.
“It’s one thing to read about policy in a classroom,” she says. “It’s a whole different world when you’re immersed in it and see how it actually affects people.”
For Afadzi, a junior at The Ohio State University, that moment represented more than just an internship experience. It was the result of years of curiosity about justice, community and the systems that shape people’s opportunities.
But the journey began long before her semester in the nation’s capital.
When it came time to choose a college, Afadzi had options. She was accepted to nine schools, each offering different opportunities. Yet when she thought about where she could grow both academically and personally, Ohio State stood out.
“I just felt peace,” she recalls. “Out of the nine schools that accepted me, OSU just felt like a solid, safe choice.” That decision brought her from Liberty Township to Columbus, where she quickly began building the academic and personal foundation that would guide her college experience.
Early on, Afadzi joined the Law and Society Scholars program, a living-learning community that explores the relationship between law, public policy and justice. Through seminars, faculty mentorship and conversations with fellow scholars, she began to look more closely at how institutions and policies influence people’s everyday lives.
“It helped me start thinking about systems,” she says. “You begin to realize that laws and policies aren’t abstract and they affect real people.”
Those conversations helped Afadzi realize that the advocacy she had always felt drawn to could become a career focused on policy and public service.
Her interest in advocacy, however, began long before college. Growing up in a Ghanaian immigrant household, Afadzi was raised with strong values centered on faith, education and community responsibility. “Not everyone has the same access to resources,” she explains. “I’ve always wanted to advocate for people who need support and make sure their voices are heard.”
At Ohio State, she pursued those interests through her academic path, majoring in political science while also studying public management, leadership, and policy. She added a minor in African American and African Studies to deepen her understanding of the communities and histories that shape social policy today.
Her coursework and experiences eventually led her to one of the most defining opportunities of her college career: participating in Ohio State’s Washington Academic Internship Program.
Through the program, Afadzi spent a semester living and working in Washington, D.C., where she interned with a nonprofit organization focused on strengthening public service and improving the effectiveness of government systems.
Her days were spent researching policy issues, assisting with organizational initiatives and observing firsthand how advocacy groups work with policymakers to address complex social challenges.
“Being there made everything feel real,” she says. “You see how much work goes into creating programs and policies that help communities.”
Being surrounded by professionals committed to improving public systems strengthened her belief that policy can be a powerful tool for change when it is designed with people in mind.
Afadzi also brought that passion for service back to her work in Columbus. While working with the Columbus City Council, she researched more than 100 local organizations and helped develop policy ideas focused on addressing youth homelessness.
The project allowed her to combine research, policy analysis and community engagement in a way that felt especially meaningful.
“I love connecting people to resources,” she says. “That’s what fulfillment looks like to me.”
Yet Afadzi’s college experience has been shaped by more than academic programs and internships. Through the Law and Society Scholars community and campus ministry, she formed friendships and mentorships that became an essential part of her time at Ohio State.
“Freshman year felt like starting over,” she says. “But growth is a process.”
Late-night study sessions, spontaneous food runs and long conversations with friends helped her navigate the challenges of college life while building a strong sense of community.
“The people I prayed with, studied with and shared 4 a.m. laughs with shaped me just as much as my internships did,” she says.
Alongside her work in policy and advocacy, Afadzi also expresses her creativity through art. An accomplished artist, her work has been displayed at the Getty Museum, and she has earned a national Gold Medal through Carnegie Hall.
For Afadzi, art and advocacy are deeply connected. “Art is a way for me to express deeper themes,” she says. “Advocacy and art aren’t separate for me. Both are ways of telling stories and bringing attention to issues that matter.”
As she prepares to graduate in spring 2026, Afadzi is considering beginning her career in the nonprofit or local government sectors, where she can continue working directly with communities and policy initiatives. She is also exploring the possibility of pursuing law school or a master’s degree in public management in the future, with the goal of further strengthening her impact.
“I want to create systems that actually care for people,” she says.
Looking back, the decision she made years ago to attend Ohio State was more than just choosing a college. It was the beginning of discovering how her passions for advocacy, community and storytelling could come together to shape the future she hopes to build.
