Internships
New America
In 2016, I worked at the Washington DC-based think tank and public policy institute, New America, as both a Communications Intern with the central communications team and a Higher Education Research Intern for the Education Policy Program.. Primarily, I provided visual and communications support to our policy programs in order to assist in the effective communication of their policy research and analysis. For the EPP, I conducted research as well as performed data analysis on issues in higher education, including state disinvestment and the federal student loan program. In these roles, I was able to develop and hone the skill of synthesizing large and complex data and research into simple-to-understand and aesthetically pleasing policy papers and related materials. This is an important skill to me because no matter what my professional career brings, I'll be able to apply this skill in order to do my best work. At UC, I was inspired by the information I learned across the board in my interpersonal communication course, and have been able to use what I've learned in that course quite often at New America by communicating and understanding inter-organizational communications in a way that has allowed me to be effective in my role.
|
Articles written for New America
Psychological Associates
Beginning in January 2017, I worked for Psychological Associates, a boutique HR consulting firm in St. Louis, MO, as a Talent Management Intern. In my role, I provided design, project management, and research support to a team of PhD consultants while also supporting the survey department within the organization. Chiefly, I was tasked to design client-facing reports, summaries, and slide decks that helped data tell a story. While at PA, I learned a great deal about how to assess data and be critical of research. This skill set will be imperative in my career as I am tasked to sort through what information is worthwhile and what information is not. In my coursework, I am thankful for my psychology courses because they have prepared me to better understand the survey and assessment measures and methods used at Psychological Associates, which allowed me to quickly acclimate to the organization.
|
Relevant Projects
Save Our Schools
Over the course of a semester, I completed a team research project focused on educational reform in K-12 schools in the state of Ohio that culminated in the presentation of our findings to three state legislators.
In the project, we researched and discussed the implications of high-stakes testing for students and the education system as a whole. Our goal was to better direct our state legislators in their consideration of HB 74, which dealt with state standardized testing. As a result, I learned a great deal about our education system in Ohio as well as several nuances about public speaking and presenting research. As such, I feel much more equipped to tackled educational and student learning issues in the future in my career. You can read more about this project here. |
UCWE
In the fall of 2015, a course I took called Inquiry to Innovation called upon a small group to research hand propose a practical solution to a problem on UC's campus. My group chose to tackle the issue of developing diverse relationships on a college campus. We chose to research this issue because, while we felt UC may have a moderately diverse student body, those students do not take appropriate advantage of the potential to develop diverse relationships.
In completing this project, I was able to learn a great deal about unique and effective brainstorming techniques and exercises. In the future, I will be able to utilize these skills in order to better solve complex problems in the workplace. You can read more about this project here. |