The voyage from a small farm near South Heart, N.D., population 300, to the United Kingdom’s Parliament in London opened a new chapter for Sara Chorne.  The political science and psychology major experienced firsthand the inner workings of one of the world’s most venerable political institutions.

“I thought it would be really cool to study abroad,” said Chorne, who minored in women studies and has a strong track record of civic and volunteer activities.  “I went with Mary Loyland (associate professor of accountancy) on her London and Scotland class trip in 2003.  It was a terrific experience and really encouraged me to broaden my horizons.”

That trip included classes in British public politics at the University of London’s Birkbeck College, which nurtured Chorne’s passion for international politics and her aim of working with an organization such as the United Nations.  There, she applied for a scholarship from the prestigious Hansard Society.

“I thought I’d give it a shot,” said Chorne, a former president of the South Heart chapter of the Future Farmers of America.  “I didn’t think it was out of the ordinary to apply.  My parents were extremely supportive, and I was very active in high school in anticipation that I’d be in leadership.” 

Chorne won a coveted three-month internship from the Hansard Society, which included a placement in Parliament, visits to the high courts, and courses at the London School of Economics.  She was assigned to work with Sandra Osborne, a Labor Party Member of Parliament (MP) representing the district of Ayr, Carrick, and Cumnock.

Chorne, who graduated this spring and starts this fall on a graduate degree at the University of London-Birkbeck College, spent time in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the UK Parliament’s two chambers.  She researched and prepared reports on international women’s equality and discrimination issues, among others, for her MP.

“I had to prepare a 10,000-word dissertation on my experience in Parliament,” Chorne explains.  “I did a comparative study between the UK, Sweden, and the United States on how they use women in their national governments.”

Among the key observations Chorne made was the difference between the work atmosphere in Parliament vs. the habits she acquired growing up:  “They are very laid back.  Me, I have a farm ethic — I just don’t know how to quit.  I spent a lot of my time off in the London School of Economics Library, the best social science library in the world.”