My degree was non-traditional. I began as a journalism major and studied on campus for my first year in Columbia, Missouri. I was pursuing minors in piano and creative writing. During my second year, I moved to San Francisco and studied remotely. I changed my major to public administration & policy, started a leadership & public service minor, and graduated at the end of my second year.

Overall GPA: 3.86/4.0

Minor: Leadership & Public Service, Certificate in Digital Global Studies

Honors & Awards:

• Rhodes, Marshall, and Truman Scholar Nominee

• Top Discovery Research Fellow: excellent work in my research lab

• Civic Advocacy Award: excellent work in my internship with the Village of Bishop Hill

• Walter Williams Scholar: one of the top incoming journalism students

• Discovery Fellow: given a research grant to participate in a research lab as a freshman

• Stamps Scholar Finalist: selected as one of the top 10 incoming Honors College students

• Mark Twain Scholarship: awarded $20,000 per year to study

Program Structure:

This program is designed to encourage students to apply systems thinking to identify, solve, and communicate global problems to leaders within corporations, nonprofits, and governments. It teaches people how to work in fundraising, politics, project management, and regulatory affairs.

• 5 core courses in public policy and program assessment

• 2 communications courses

• 5 policy electives

• General education requirements in math, science, English, and foreign languages

Pre-College Courses: (27 credits)

Note: These were courses taken during high school in partnership with local universities, or credit given based on exam scores to forego general education requirements.

• Saint Louis University: History of the US to 1865

• Saint Louis University: History of the US since 1865

• Saint Louis University: General Physics 1

• Southwestern Illinois College: Fundamentals of Public Speaking

• Southwestern Illinois College: General Psychology

• AP Music Exam: Fundamentals of Music 1

• AP Literature Exam: Provided 9 college credits due to a perfect score

• ACT: Exempt from College Algebra due to a score of 33

Semester 1 Fall Term: (15 credits)

Principles of Journalism in a Democracy

Key Topics: journalism business models, ethics, free speech rights

Fundamentals of Written Journalism

Key Topics: social media, press releases, radio stories, copywriting, broadcast

Project: Portfolio of 10 journalistic pieces across different mediums

Environmental Ethics

Key Topics: natural resource management, sustainability, property rights, sustainability

Project: Collection of 4 essays examining different theories of conservation

Introduction to Biological Anthropology

Key Topics: climate adaptations, genetic origins of humans, modeling global changes

Studio Instruction for Piano

Key Topics: private piano lessons with a professor

Project: Performed a collection of 3 memorized pieces from different musical eras

Literature in 1912 (Honors College Tutorial)

Key Topics: Ulysses by Joyce, “The Waste Land” by Eliot, Jacob’s Room by Woolf

Project: Weekly essays analyzing texts and writing to mimic themes of “The Waste Land”

Semester 2 Spring Term: (31 credits)

Note: While I took 18 credit hours, I was awarded 13 credits of “back credit” for Elementary German 1 & 2 and Intermediate German 1.

Program Assessment & Improvement (graduate-level)

Key Topics: regressions, data visualization, project implementation, theory of change

Project: The Grevy’s Zebra Trust evaluation toolkit and research design

Introduction to Probability & Statistics for Business

Key Topics: Excel, modeling, probability, hypothesis tests, interval estimations, risk

Global History in Oxford (study abroad, Honors College)

Key Topics: transatlantic trade, modern American politics, global policy, neoliberalism

Project: Bishop Hill and its impact on the development of Illinois as a population hub

Creative Writing: Intermediate Poetry

Key Topics: read poems, responded to writing prompts, and evaluated classmates’ poetry

Project: Developed a portfolio of poems related to flooding in the Midwestern US

Intermediate German 2

Key Topics: grammar, writing, interpersonal communication, auditory understanding

Studio Instruction for Piano

Key Topics: Held private piano lessons with a professor

Project: Performed a collection of 3 memorized pieces from different musical eras

Semester 3 Fall Term: (24 credits)

Note: While I took 18 credit hours, I was awarded 6 credits for passing the online CLEP exams through College Board for Introduction to Sociology and Studies in American Literature. This fulfilled general education requirements.

Zero Hunger Challenge (Honors College)

Key Topics: social innovation, systems mapping, supply chain, food insecurity

Project: Solar-powered food dehydrators for small-scale farmers in Nigeria

Public Affairs

Key Topics: policy implementation, lobbying, program evaluation

Research (Honors College)

Key Topics: clustering methods, multiple linear regression, public policy analysis

Project: APHA 2024 poster about public response to marijuana health warning labels

Case Studies in a Multicultural World

Key Topics: economic growth, poverty reduction, development finance

Project: E-book for reducing Nigerian poverty through infrastructure & energy development

Nonprofit & Voluntary Sector

Key Topics: nonprofit governance, management, and resource acquisition

Project: Literature review of donor fundraising strategies

Communication Competencies for a Diverse Workplace

Key Topics: communication styles, management, human resources

Semester 4 Spring Term: (24 credits)

Principles of Public Policy Administration

Key Topics: strategic management, assessment, evaluation

Project: Analysis of the utility of AI within public administration and policy

Public Policy

Key Topics: policy analysis, lobbying, policy communications

Project: The value proposition of Missouri Senate Bill 386.885 on net metering

Civic Leaders Internship: Village of Bishop Hill

Objective: conducted a study on the economic viability of 250 rural communities in Illinois, developed financial models and policy recommendations, and lobbied Illinois legislators

Civic Leaders Internship: Public Health & Education in Peru (study abroad)

Objective: spent three weeks working with a nonprofit in rural Cusco to teach sustainability, public health, and English to 30 children

Local Government Management

Key Topics: government structure, campaigning, stakeholder engagement, local policy

Project: Case study about managing the citizens, policies, and partnerships of a town

Business & Professional Communications

Key Topics: data visualization, press releases, leadership and management styles, ethics

Project: Case study on managerial communication and leadership strategies

Human Rights, Law, War, & Peace

Key Topics: international law & policy, development economics, sustainable development

Project: 4 essays on sustainability related to mineral rights, housing policy, and geopolitics

Asian Philosophy

Key Topics: Hindu, Jaina, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism

Project: Case studies about ethical dilemmas and solutions

Key Extracurricular Activities:

American Conservation Coalition (President)

Key Activities: hosted clean-ups and lobbying sessions about state energy policy

Deaton Scholars

Key Activities: fundraised to assist 50 women in rural Kenya obtain reusable feminine hygiene products

Science and Health Research Lab

Key Activities: published a paper about perceptions of marijuana health warning labels

Science, Health, and Environmental Journalism Club (Secretary)

Key Activities: managed the finances, membership, and wrote environmental articles

Library Standing Committee

Key Activities: obtained 50 new contemporary poetry books for the library collection

Women in Media (Communications Chair)

Key Activities: hosted workshops about resumes, LinkedIn, and the job search

Additional Activities: Model United Nations, Creative Writing Club, Kappa Delta Sorority