What inspires you to work in public service?
I am from a town outside of Youngstown, Ohio, and growing up it was always very clear how different my life was from those a few minutes down the road. Our educational opportunities to the family backgrounds we faced were so different, and many of the children that grew up in that area were victims of abuse and truancy. I have always carried the stories of children in these situations with me, and I have been inspired to work to make opportunities and a better life for accessible to those in harmful situations that are out of their control.
What is your major, and do you have any minors or specializations?
Public Policy Analysis and Strategic Communication with a Philosophy minor
What coursework or academic experiences have most shaped your interests in policy, leadership or public service?
NEW Leadership Ohio held through the John Glenn college was recommended to me during my freshman year, and that experience solidified my career path for my future. I learned about so many different routes to be an advocate, and I heard many successful and impactful women share their stories. Many of the speakers worked in educational law or served on school boards, and I have a lot of interest in working in improving education, so it was cool to hear about the different routes to take.
What specific skills or experiences do you bring to your internship?
I am a strong researcher and have experiences in taking complex information and transferring it to digestible language for professionals, attorneys, or the public to read. I am a fast learner, and I have a lot of experience in learning things in a short amount of time with the confidence to present or inform others on current events. I value my organizational skills, and I am always looking for more ways to be efficient and clear in my work and my schedule. I am a strong writer, and can produce high quality, well researched work in a way that is appealing and clear to an audience, while also being done in a timely manner. I gained these experiences through social media work, my communications role with MobilePantry, working as a Page for the Ohio House of Representatives, and as an intern at the Mahoning County courthouse; these positions have required me to learn on the spot, conduct detailed and precise research, and communicate effectively with professionals in a variety of settings.
What strengths do you most rely on when collaborating with others?
When working with others, there are always going to be differing opinions, and how you handle these opinions and ideas in a way where everyone is understood is very important. I rely on understanding those I am working with through clear communication, and brainstorming ways to improve the ideas we are working with. I value challenging the ideas we have to make them better, and for creating new solutions to a problem to find the most efficient outcome. I also rely on organization, which is very important when working with a team. I like having an agreed upon approach to completing a task, and being clear about where we are in the process. I like to have everything in folders that are easy to navigate, so everyone is capable of doing good work with easy access to all necessary materials.
What are your career goals and how do you hope this fellowship will support your professional journey?
I hope to go to law school and either earn a masters in public policy or a masters in communications. With these degrees I hope to do research, press work, public affairs, and work with policy makers in my future. The Washington Academic Internship Program is an essential step in my professional journey where I can gain first hand experience doing work that aligns with my interests. I look forward to learning more about the paths that I can take, while also challenging myself to strengthen my professional writing, researching, and strategic communication skills for my future. I can see myself working in educational law, constitutional law, or communication/media law where I can take my experience and education and advocate for effective and impactful policy in my future.
What is your favorite or most impactful project from a previous role?
I joined a group of Ohio State students in developing a non-profit that was designed to close barriers that contributed to food insecurity in America. I spent my time in a marketing and communications role where I researched the causes of food insecurity and educated people through social media. We interacted with other students by having them share their experiences in giving back to communities, creating brand guides, and developing creative strategies to share our mission with the public. My favorite way we interacted with other Ohio State students was holding a food drive throughout Fisher organizations during the month of November. We took on this project during the government shutdown to help supplement the growing reliance on food drives, and we held a competition to bring in the most nonperishable goods. We were able to donated 600+ lbs of food to the Mid Ohio Food Collective, and I looked forward to continuing this mission at Ohio State and throughout the Columbus area.