PLS graduating senior chosen to carry the College of Social Science flag at commencement

December 16, 2024

This story originally ran in the Saline Sun Times

December 14, 2024 by Lonnie Huhman

This weekend at Michigan State University is an important one for Saline High School alumnus Noah Socha. He’s graduating as a Political Science Scholar and political science pre-law major, and he’s also received the honor to be the flag bearer for MSU’s College of Social Science during the graduation ceremony.

Photo: Noah Socha. Photo credit to https://www.fingophoto.com/ (Finn Gomez).

Carrying the Flag

It’s an honor he holds dearly and one he shares with his fellow graduates. According to MSU’s College of Social Science, the selection to be a flag bearer is based on extraordinary academic achievements and contributions to the department.

In hearing about the accomplishments of this local graduate, the Sun Times News reached out to him to learn more.

“I don’t know that there are metrics to it, but the Political Science program was tasked with selecting a student to represent the College of Social Science. They reached out to me, and I gladly accepted,” Socha said. “While acknowledging the honor and privilege of bearing the standard, I’d like to think that it also represents all of the hard work and achievement that all of us students in the College of Social Science experienced during our tenure at MSU. I’m excited to bear the flag on behalf of all of them and their contributions to our Spartan community.”

Extracurriculars, Research and Gaining Experience

Socha has been busy during his time at MSU. He was involved in the Spartan Brass marching band and participated in undergraduate moot court and pre law student groups. He also gained law and policy experience for public defenders and most recently the Michigan Governor’s office, where he is hoping to work in law and government following graduation.

As an undergraduate researcher, he said, “I have been doing research in relation to the judicial branch, but I am also interested in the relationship between the different branches of government. Some issues I am interested in are education, elections, and democracy. After graduation I hope to go to law school. My goal is to later work in government, specifically in or around Congress.”

He said the biggest extracurricular activities that he participated in were the Spartan Marching Band (SMB) and the Spartan Brass Pep Band, both as a trumpet player. He served as Vice President of the SMB his senior year.

“Marching band was one of the best experiences of my life; it’s where I met roommates and sure to be life-long friends. I was able to travel to Austria, New York City, Charlotte (NC), Columbus (OH), Minneapolis (MN), and Detroit with both groups,” he said.

With music, he said he also plays piano at local churches, which has been a great way to earn some money while getting through college.

Explaining Moot Court, Socha said it’s a club that is part of AMCA, the American Moot Court Association. He said in moot court “we are given a mock case with a few constitutional issues.”

“We then use the given facts and a list of pre-selected Supreme Court and/or state appellate court cases to craft an argument for both sides of our issue that we will present at competition,” he said. “I was lucky enough to participate in the club my sophomore and junior years; I enjoyed reading the cases and crafting an argument.”

A big part in gaining experience for him happened inside the governor’s office. He said he’s been lucky enough to serve as an intern in the Policy Division of the Executive Office of Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

“Between this internship and a previous one also in Lansing, I’ve learned so much about the processes that keep our state government running,” Socha said.

Photo: Noah Socha. Photo credit to https://www.fingophoto.com/ (Finn Gomez).