Hello Everyone! My name is Harry Vaselopulos and I was born in Glenview, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, to an immigrant mother from Greece and Greek-American father. It was through this that I was able to get my Greek citizenship, this is something I am very proud and privileged to have gotten. I have been fortunate enough to spend every summer in Greece during my childhood and beyond. Much of my worldview and experiences have been heavily influenced by my time spent in Greece and exposure to Greek-American culture at home. Learning about a different culture from such a young age was important for fostering my passion in international cultures, global affairs, and traveling.

I currently study political science with a general concentration at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with an expected graduation date for May 2025. From January to May 2024 I had the opportunity to study abroad in London at Queen Mary University; living in such a diverse and international city such as London exposed me to a host of different cultures and cuisines I had never had the opportunity to try before. The classes I took at Queen Mary University gave me foundational knowledge in the tenets of international business and law. I also took a class about the history of London and how it evolved to be the global cultural, economic, and political powerhouse it is today. Lastly, I was fortunate enough to have traveled to 10 countries and 17 cities while abroad. Traveling and living abroad taught me the importance of cultural preservation and to understanding diverse perspectives which contribute to many people's way of life.

I have also had several past work experiences in public and private sector roles. Interning for Alderman James M. Gardiner at the 45th ward in the City of Chicago introduced me to the world of local politics and the crucial role it plays in building trust between politicians and their constituents. Local politicians can play a direct role in improving the day to day quality of life of residents. Meeting numerous 45th ward constituents, hearing their concerns about the local community, and what they wanted to see done in the City of Chicago reminded me of the many struggles that people go through. This experience taught me the importance of responsive leadership and community engagement which can be driving forces of change.

This past summer, I interned with Surepeople, a human resources consulting company. While there, I compiled a detailed excel sheet identifying key parameters in venture capital funds to identify sales leads and drive future company growth. Additionally, with my cointerns, we conducted research on internal HR problems faced by many companies to compile sales presentations for prospective clients.

I plan on taking a gap year and beginning the job application process with the eventual hope of attending law school. I aspire to become a lawyer in an international setting taking advantage of what I have learned from my many experiences abroad. There I feel that I can impart my knowledge to my maximum utility towards others and make the most impact. However, it is here at Meer that I hope to use this as an outlet towards my personal creative expressions and in opinionated columns on a variety of topic matters such as traveling and politics.