Sabine Laurent

Sabine de Laurent says art and filmmaking piqued her interest in politics. 

“I kind of got into politics through art, because I really like propaganda art, which sounds really messed up. But I liked talking and thinking about how art could make people feel so strongly and convince them of things that might not necessarily be true,” de Laurent says. 

A senior transfer student double-majoring in criminal justice and political science, de Laurent says film also played a role in this fascination because of the way it can be used to evoke emotions or convey points of view. 

“I realized how much I like debate and talking about issues like that,” she says. 

Originally from Camas, Washington, de Laurent was not originally destined for UMass Lowell (UML). She started at a private school in Boston, but felt it wasn't for her. “I knew I wanted to stay in Massachusetts and to transfer to one of the UMass campuses,” she says.  

“I really like UML, and I’m very happy I chose it,” she says. “When I came here, I found ways to develop myself as a person that I don’t think I could have done anywhere else.”

Currently, de Laurent is a legislative intern for state Representative Tara Hong ’22, who also earned a degree in political science from UMass Lowell. “Working in the State House feels like a dream. I look forward to coming in every day,” says de Laurent. 

As senior class president, de Laurent is ambitious about what she wants her role to look like for students. 

“Vice President Marshall Lee and I are adamant about the fact that senior college officers are an important thing for a college to have. We really want to build more of a community within the senior class and also get people more confident and ready for their careers, because we have a really good career-connected network here,” she says. 

Besides serving as class president, de Laurent also serves as the co-president of the College Democrats of UMass Lowell, as well as vice chair of the College Democrats of Massachusetts. 

“I have very strong feelings about the fact that the youth are the future of the Democratic Party and any party,” says de Laurent. 

She wanted to join a political organization on campus that focused on activism and offered a voice to her generation, so she decided to reactivate the College Democrats of UMass Lowell. 

An important goal, she says, is “getting more people involved and giving more people hope that they can actually do something and they can get into rooms, and they can say things, and if they say it loud enough, people will actually listen.”

After graduating, de Laurent plans to get a degree in law. She says her major in criminal justice is helping her to build a strong foundation for the field. 

Also, she will follow the path of her two younger brothers by entering the military – specifically the Navy. 

“I feel like that would do very good things for my character development,” says de Laurent. “I’d be able to have a real impact on my country.”