Recently, I was asked to write the intro column for my newsletter at work, so its for a pretty specific audience (IWPR members) so its a little more formal than I usually roll, but I like this as a piece about why I am pumped to be back in school. Enjoy!
“It’s the most wonderful time of year!” declared a popular office superstore commercial each August when I was a kid, delighting my mother, but sadly signaling the end of long, playful summer days for me. However, this fall, I could not help but cheerfully hum the tune to myself as I roamed around Target filling my cart with pens, pencils, notepads, and my personal favorite school supply, the academic year planner. The academic year was off to such a gleeful start because I was beginning graduate school part-time to pursue a Masters Degree in Public Policy with a Concentration in Women’s Studies. As a full-time employee at IWPR, my graduate education at The George Washington University (GWU) is fully funded thanks to IWPR’s ten year affiliation with the University. As a 25-year-old who is surrounded by friends who are desperately trying to pay off their undergraduate student loans, while in many cases, also taking out loans for graduate school, I truly appreciate this amazing financial benefit, but my love for the IWPR/GWU relationship goes deeper than that!
The most beneficial aspect of my status as both an IWPR staff member and a GWU student has been that this combination allows me to begin what I hope will be a long career in feminist research and public policy. When I joined IWPR, I knew I was interested in pursuing a Ph.D. in women’s studies and/or public policy or political science. I came to Washington with a great deal of political experience for someone my age. I majored in Political Science at Williams College; worked on three campaigns, including one I managed for a woman running for State Representative; worked in a private-sector lobbying firm; and served as a government relations staff member for a non-profit in Boston. Though I enjoyed each of these jobs, I wanted to embark on a career path that would most resemble, my senior thesis, entitled “Why Sports? The Congressional Debate about Gender Roles and Discrimination in Academics and Athletics.” As a result, I was overjoyed when IWPR provided me the opportunity to not only prepare for graduate school, but also to attend it!
In my first two semesters at GWU, I have been enrolled in four classes, Fundamentals of Feminist Theory, an introduction to the public policy process, Feminist Media Theory, and Mircoeconomics. Fundamentals of Feminist Theory convinced me that I definitely want to spend my life in feminist policy research. The class demanded intellectual engagement and rewarded creativity. I left the class feeling challenged to develop new ways of thinking about feminist theory that could fuel change for women in today’s world. My public policy class taught me how to develop my theoretical ideas into actual policies through strategic thinking about the policy process. Feminist Media Theory has been a treat because it has allowed me to think through ways that studying pop culture (one of my favorite hobbies) is also an important component of change. In that class, I am currently interested in the media coverage of Hillary Clinton’s campaign and a more “fun” project focused on the ways that humor, specifically feminist sitcoms such as 30 Rock, can be used as a feminist project. Economics has been truly beneficial in my work with Dr. Hartmann.
As I progress in the graduate program, I hope to develop a thesis project focused on addressing the issues of twenty-something women. I’ve been concerned about the unique issues that young women face as the twenties have become a time of “extended adolescence.” My project will hopefully address issues as they apply to young women such as student loans, high costs of living, employment issues such as the pay gap and job quality, physical and mental health issues (health care coverage, reproductive health), political engagement issues, and the challenges young women face in the media. While this is an ambitious project that requires further refinement, I’ve imagined modeling it on IWPR’s Status of Women in the States Reports. Perhaps it could be titled The Status of Young Women in America and conclude with policy recommendations for this often overlooked group. In addition to finishing up my Masters, I plan to apply to Ph.D. programs to further develop my interests in women’s studies and public policy. Ultimately, my work at IWPR and as a student at GWU has been truly beneficial for me and I’ll always thank IWPR for getting me started on my career as a feminist policy researcher.
