Meet Elizabeth Yirava

I attended a public high school in northeastern Ohio where I had the opportunity to participate in a few extracurriculars and AP classes. These activities not only allowed me to cultivate communities but also played a significant role in shaping my identity. As an upperclassman, my high school confronted substantial funding challenges due to failed levies, highlighting the inherent instability of public schools in Ohio for many students. While the school eventually secured funding through persistent levy campaigns, this process underscored the precarious nature of public education funding. It made me acutely aware of the importance of the programs my school offered, recognizing their crucial role in my personal growth and education.

Motivated by a desire to contribute to enhancing access to quality public education for children and catalyzing positive change in the education system, I chose to enroll at the Glenn College.

During my first semester as a Public Policy Analysis major, I took an introductory statistics class and loved how numbers could be used to interpret and provide solutions for difficult problems. I added a second major in Statistics, driven by the belief that a comprehensive grasp of real-world data is instrumental in creating effective policy solutions to address societal challenges. The combination of majors allows me to technically analyze data while also understanding the real-world implications of analysis conclusions.

Currently, I work at the Ohio Education Research Center (OERC) as a research assistant. Though this role, I’ve been able to work with real data to analyze and create visual representations for various policy areas such as housing, workforce, and education. For one of my projects, I created a series of maps that visually depict several education metrics used by the Ohio Department of Education (ODE). The maps can be used to see how individual school districts perform in comparison to the rest of the state. At the end of the project, my maps were sent to ODE to be used in the creation of new education metrics! The experience of working with the OERC has been truly rewarding, allowing me to play a role in the real-world application of data for policy development. I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to contribute to meaningful work that aligns with my passions.

After completing my undergraduate studies, I plan to pursue a Master’s in Applied Statistics at OSU to enhance my technical proficiency and apply statistical methodologies to address real-world policy problems. My overarching goal is to contribute to impactful research, specifically concentrating on bettering Ohio’s education system and advocating for consequential policy reforms. I am also interested in broadening my expertise in other important policy areas, including healthcare and workforce policy. Ultimately, I aim to have my research findings published, and to continue collaborating with talented research and analysis teams dedicated to the public sector.