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Communication studies major discovers new career interests

Through herAPEX FellowshipattheUnited Planning Organization, HannahNguyen�22was able to combineher interestsineducationpolicyand communication studies.She discovered theopportunity through aCollege of ������˾�� alumniand the Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty (SHECP) organization.Inher position,she conducted researchonracial inequalitiesin access to early education servicesandhelped the organizationwith their strategizing.

�It was so interesting seeing the difference between research as a student versus research demanded by an organization.�

�Hannah Nguyen

What interests you most about the work you did? What were some of the things you did each day?

�I dida lot of reading, lookedup articles and policy briefs, and emailedpeople back and forth to set up interview times. I was able to experiment with different research methods, and it was so interesting seeing the difference between research as a student versus research demanded by an organization.�

Who was your Fellowship mentor and how did they help you to succeed in this position?

�ProfessorBrookeKrause[assistant professor of economics and global & international studies]was my mentor, and she created a reflective space for me every week to critically think about my experience and what I learned. She also offeredcomments and follow-up questions from my reflections to push my thinking forward.�

How has the internship helped you to see what�s next for you?

�I do see myself in research roles in the future. Though I am not entirely certain I would pursue this field, the internship helps me see that it is a possible choice.I would also add that because my APEX Fellowship was through the SHECP program, it helpedme learn about social justice and poverty,both academically and experientially.�

Posted in Experiential Learning on November 5, 2021.