Hometown
Viroqua, WI
Undergraduate education
American Studies, Yale Class of 2021
Professional/research interests
Social policy, especially related to children, education, and poverty
Expected graduation date
May 2026
Why the La Follette School?
As someone who grew up in Wisconsin and then spent some time out east, I was excited about the opportunity to come back to the Midwest. I was drawn to La Follette’s small class sizes, emphasis on quantitative skills, and the chance to be in Madison!
Assistantship
Last year, I worked as a TA for an interdisciplinary seminar and a political science course. Because I was a teacher before coming to La Follette, it was nice to have the opportunity to continue using my teaching skills. In my second year, I am working as a project assistant for Dr. Susan Yackee, which is giving me an exciting glimpse into the nitty-gritty of policy research.
Internship
During the summer after my first year at La Follette, I was a Policy and Program Analyst in the Department of Workforce Development’s Division of Employment and Training through the SWSDIP program.
Primary internship responsibilities
In my role at DWD, I completed a wide range of tasks, including conducting research on non-degree credentials, developing policy recommendations, drafting a handbook for members of the Governor’s Council on Workforce Investment, and analyzing workforce system performance data using Excel, R, and Tableau. I also had the opportunity to present my work, helping inform councils’ policy recommendations.
Most rewarding La Follette School experience
I have appreciated the opportunity to dive into long-term projects at La Follette, particularly in Public Affairs 873: Introduction to Policy Analysis, Public Affairs 881: Cost-Benefit Analysis, and Public Affairs 869: Workshop in Public Affairs. Spending an entire semester, either as part of a group or individually, analyzing a problem in depth is a rewarding way to apply the skills developed in our classes. These projects hone a wide range of skills and are also useful for discussing in interviews or as work samples.
Before the La Follette School
Prior to coming to La Follette, I taught 9th-grade English at a Baltimore City public school.