PPE Alumnus Spotlight: Nik Filip

The Kellogg Center for Philosophy, Politics, and Economics is proud to feature Nik Filip, a Spring 2022 PPE graduate, as he discusses work experience post-graduation, career goals, and more. 

Nik, tell us about your academic background at Virginia Tech.

I majored in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) and graduated in May of 2022.

Can you elaborate on your post-graduation work experience?

I am currently working at Congressman H. Morgan Griffith’s office. I am a Staff Assistant for the district office, an office that submits inquiries into federal agencies on behalf of constituents. These inquiries pertain to delayed tax refunds, problems getting Social Security benefits, and troubles getting passports, among others. My plan is to work here for a while before attending law school.

What made you interested in applying for law school and what kind of work would you like to focus on?

I believe my current position is helping me to better understand the kinds of issues that people face and the legal consequences that come of them. It has made me want to work more directly with individuals as opposed to a larger entity that has little direct contact with its clients. I believe I will focus on criminal and constitutional law in law school and ultimately would like to litigate appellate cases.

How has PPE helped set you up for your current success?

The PPE program was invaluable not only in the material we covered but in the skills it taught me along the way. Specifically, the program has taught me to look at policy measures in multiple ways even in common discourse. When discussing legislative issues inside the office, I have found that I can appreciate the complexity of many political issues in the U.S. and acknowledge valid arguments, while still confidently holding on to my set beliefs for as long as I have solid premises behind my conclusions. Even just being able to understand the structure of an argument has helped guide my discourse in a way that hopefully everyone can understand. After all, although we may disagree in our conclusions, it is by examining the premises behind our conclusions that we can understand why we disagree and how perhaps we can find some common ground.