ALUMNI SUCCESS STORIES
Mish Spink
“…Every day is a new adventure. No matter my plan for the day, there is a never-ending stream of new challenges and changing priorities.”
What are your typical day-to-day activities in your career?
Day-to-day? Every day is a new adventure. No matter my plan for the day, there is a never-ending stream of new challenges and changing priorities. At the most basic level, I am a program manager for an organization that hosts international affairs events. From all-day conferences on global health and multi-ambassador panels to book signings/discussions, every day is different. Consistently, I help conceptualize discussions/topics, vet venues (free lunch!), negotiate contracts, design marketing material, fundraise, do public/organizational outreach, brief speakers and VIP guests, make travel arrangements, coordinate volunteers/interns, coordinate research, troubleshoot A/V, fix computer issues, and whatever else comes up. The worst thing for me is boredom and I am lucky that my position is anything but boring. I would say my job (and career choice) is about being adaptable, engaged and curious.
What process did you go through to enter (or rise) to your position? Which skills and experiences distinguished you from other candidates?
Wow, those are deceptively simple questions to answer. As a non-traditional student, I did not go to college right out of high school. After spending 8+ years living all over the U.S. and traveling, I knew I had to focus and orient everything towards my field(s) of interest once I decided to go to college. My current position grew out of an internship I successfully applied for during my senior year, where I worked as a research assistant with some duties in programmatic support. I took on every project, asked questions, and tried to go a step further and anticipate the next step. After two semesters, I helped create the foundation for internships in both the research group and programs/organizational support groups. As the organization grew, I grew with it and was offered a staff position upon graduation. What might have distinguished me from other candidates? I never wasted time over technical problems, instead, I found workarounds. Can’t figure out how to do something in 5 minutes? Googled it. Didn’t know current thoughts on a topic? Googled it. Didn’t know what the pros and cons were for different data sets? Googled it. Didn’t know how to navigate the university system? I made friends in other departments. I made myself indispensable by constantly learning new skills/tools/tricks and who I needed to call and when. From my point of view, everyone has something to teach me and it is my job to learn.
“When I was a student, I wish I had known….”
I got lucky. I found the right internship, at the right time, with the right skills, and was able to convert that into a paying job (and career) right out of the gate. Regardless, here are some of the things I wish I had known: 1) Focusing on graduation is important, but I should have also attended non-degree related courses of interest and more campus events; 2) I should have taken the time to develop more relationships with professors and other students, and 3) Though I worked up to my senior year, I should have found a way to do more volunteer work and/or internships. Opportunities come from unexpected places, get engaged and volunteer with causes/organizations and go to events that speak to your interests. I have more job offers and notifications crossing my desk through my network from volunteering than anything else. Here are things I found out well before college and can be quite shocking to new graduates: 1) Education is a foundation, it is never seen as work experience; 2) I know nothing – or more importantly – I am constantly finding out how little I know; 3) Be realistic. Menial tasks are a part of life. Do them quickly and WELL, so that you can get to the interesting/fun things; 4) Career building starts well before graduation. It can become difficult to build a resume that shows applicable experience. Otherwise, your career path will be dictated by what job you can get (even just momentarily) when your student loans go into repayment; and 5) This one seems self-evident, but sometimes isn’t in practice: treat everyone equally and respectfully and expect to have to earn respect.
Joseph Fuller
“When I was a student, I wish I had known that the habits you make in college generally stay with you for life!”
What are your typical day-to-day activities in your career?
By day, I am a Senior Systems Engineer and Technical Project Manager for a company that specializes in Apple IT professional services in Sydney, Australia. I think my title makes me sound more fancy than I am! In a given day, I manage, from start to finish, complex and large scale IT projects for enterprise-size clients of varying sizes in Australia. I get to play with cool things in the Apple world, such as iPad, MacBook, and iPhone, and sort out how to make them work better, easier, and smarter for our clients. I have to have, and maintain, an unrelenting passion for our customers because I am an advocate for them, and for my company.
A typical day for me consists of a LOT of meetings all across Sydney, lots of emails and phone calls, relationship management (as in, putting out fires, making sure customers are happy, ensuring what our engineers did… does what we said it would) and following up loose ends. It starts early, sometimes ends late, and usually includes a lot of coffee. I spend a lot of time researching and reviewing … anything from quotes our sales guys are about to send to clients, to product specifications and vendor documentation. A small error or omission can equal a mistake that costs thousands of dollars, to my company or a client.
I spend an equally large amount of time in meetings, both with my internal team members, and with clients, and I take a ton of notes. I spend a lot of time on follow up and conversations with my team and clients and spend a lot of time finding out what works and what doesn’t, and in a situation when something doesn’t work, it’s up to me to convey that information to folks on both sides so that we get things fixed, our sales guys stop selling it, and our vendors know that there are problems, and our support guys are aware. In rare cases, if there’s no one else available for a job, or folks are out sick, sometimes I partner with the engineers and go to clients and help deploy the projects that I work on every day.
What process did you go through to enter (or rise) to your position? Which skills and experiences distinguished you from other candidates?
What process did I go through? I worked. A lot. The biggest thing that helped me out when I was a student, was the fact that I worked, and kept working throughout my time in college. That gave me an edge when I graduated because I graduated past being “entry level.”
I kept applying for jobs I thought I could do and getting turned down, and kept asking for feedback about why they didn’t choose me. Finally, I got a chance as a part-time sales rep for a telecom company. The hours were terrible and I worked nights and weekends and holidays, but eventually, I was promoted to full-time and worked more. I balanced this with the university, and at times, that meant dropping down to a part-time workload, or taking a class in the summer. At school, I worked a lot, and I made sure I took classes from professors that I personally gained a lot from, and who I enjoyed learning from, and I worked hard to contribute, to do the work, and to actually come to class. Those professors, in turn, invested countless amounts of time, effort, energy, and above all else, patience in me.
I was promoted to management, and with the help of some amazing mentors, both at university and professionally, I was promoted higher. But when I wanted to change careers, it meant I had to make a decision, and that was to take a slight pay cut, to get my foot in the door for an opportunity in a field that was exploding with growth. I took it and rebounded quicker than I would realize. At the end of all of that, the hard work I put in at college landed me a scholarship and opportunity to study in Australia, and my experience in the USA made me an attractive candidate in the Australian job market, because of the niche field that I specialized in. The company I worked for while studying abroad in Australia wanted me to come back and sponsored my visa to do so.
The biggest thing I’ve done in my career (and my academic career) has been to show up and learn. If there’s something I’ve been interested in, I’ve found a mentor, or a friend, or even work in the field that would provide me the training or knowledge to take it further. Sometimes that meant going to work on a weekend or doing something outside of my official job title, but people see that, and they want to help develop people who want to develop themselves. The biggest asset I have is a voracious desire to learn new things and to teach myself, up to a certain point, what I want to know, if I don’t already know it. Companies don’t hold your hand and make you learn new things … they’ll buy you a book and the rest is up to you. The second biggest asset is to make sure I always surround myself with people that are incredibly smart and talented — I learn so much from other people and their experiences.
“When I was a student, I wish I had known….”
When I was a student, at least early on, I wish I had known how valuable a degree would be. I took a long time to finish my degree, including time off from school. It was hard to get back into things, and that made it even more difficult, but it took being passed up for promotions because I didn’t have a degree for me to realize how valuable it really is. I wish I had known how valuable hard work would turn out to be, WHILE I was a student.
Practically speaking, I use the skills I gained from my higher education every day. Critical thinking is, above all else, what I use the most. I deal with people from all types of fields, industries, companies, and I have to be able to quickly ingest, digest and analyze complex information and deal with thousands of details and nuances, and then I do it again and again and again. I have to focus on thousands of moving parts and keep them all lined up. I have to stay aware of the news and markets and what’s happening in governments because my clients range from finance to retail to governments.
I wish I had known that I shouldn’t have worried so much about WHAT my degree was in, so much as WHAT I was learning from my degree … it’s hard to think that I don’t use my degree in the same way as, say, an architect does, but yet, I use various parts of it every single day.
Finally, I wish I had known much earlier on, how valuable my professors would be. My professors have provided counsel and feedback and encouragement that I would consider to be priceless. They have been some of my biggest advocates and have championed me for things that I wouldn’t have given a second thought to, but that have given me immeasurable advantages and knowledge. And, most of them DO know what they’re talking about most of the time ;).
Jason Kinsey
“I am an Archivist for the Central Clinical Laboratories and Records and Information Management Team Lead at Quintiles, the world’s largest provider of biopharmaceutical development and commercial outsourcing.”
What are your typical day-to-day activities in your career?
I am an Archivist for the Central Clinical Laboratories and Records and Information Management Team Lead at Quintiles, the world’s largest provider of biopharmaceutical development and commercial outsourcing. On a daily basis, I work with several departments within our facility to meet their records management needs. I maintain a large database of medical records, in both electronic and paper form. I also coordinate with an outside contractor for the off-site storage of boxed records and the eventual destruction of records after their retention period is complete.
What process did you go through to enter (or rise) to your position? Which skills and experiences distinguished you from other candidates?
While I was pursuing my Political Science degree, I received an email from the department about a job at the National Archives and Records Administration for a temporary student job. I interviewed and was hired to work on a major records project. Once I graduated, I was hired as a full-time employee and stayed there for about 3 ½ years.
I spent a lot of time searching job websites especially Indeed. Through the application and interview processes, I learned companies love potential hires who have any type of leadership experience whether it be in a supervisorial role or even leading a singular project. At NARA, I took every opportunity to distinguish myself through individual endeavors and within a group dynamic. Employers also want employees who work well with people of diverse backgrounds and my experiences at Georgia State really helped with this. As tough as group projects can be in college, the experience is invaluable because you learn how to work with people who have different backgrounds, work ethics, life experiences, and time constraints than you.
“When I was a student, I wish I had known….”
My Georgia State career began in the fall of 1994 after graduating high school and it was a complete disaster. I was totally unprepared for college courses. Unfortunately, I never learned how to take proper notes and my study habits were poor. The freedom of being able to decide whether to attend class or not wasn’t the best thing for me. I often chose to play golf instead of attending class and my grades suffered. As a result, I took a full-time job at Ford Motor Company in the spring of 1995 and dropped out of school.
I returned to Georgia State in January 2007 after taking a buyout from Ford. At the age of 30, my second try at college was far more successful than the first. After working in an auto parts plant for nearly 12 years, I had a totally different life perspective and a better skill set to succeed. The biggest thing I learned was how to delegate time to schoolwork. Instead of waiting until the last minute to complete readings or assignments, I set aside an hour each weekday to concentrate on school activities without any kind of distractions. I turned off my phone and stayed off of the internet except for research purposes. Gone were the usual cram sessions before tests and the frantic writing of papers the night before they were due. I took extensive notes in classes, which made studying a lot easier. I rarely missed class and when I did, I arranged to get notes from a fellow student. I built relationships with professors by being engaged in their classes and asking questions. I graduated with a B.A. in History in 2010 and a B.A. in Political Science in 2011 with both programs helping me in my records management career. Learning how to research, read critically, and analyze have been invaluable in my professional growth…all skills learned at Georgia State.
Harry Baughman
“I work in the environmental consulting field for a major US engineering company, where I manage a business unit.”
What are your typical day-to-day activities in your career?
I work in the environmental consulting field for a major US engineering company, where I manage a business unit. I manage a multi-disciplined group that includes engineers, scientists, management consultants, and support staff in the area of water resources, supply and treatment. My positon involves marketing new projects and services, financial management and client relations. I often meet with elected officials and senior public works managers. Regularly, I review project performance, develop strategies for new markets/services and provide employee leadership and mentoring.
What process did you go through to enter (or rise) to your position? Which skills and experiences distinguished you from other candidates?
I worked nights at a water treatment facility in a metro Atlanta County while I attended Georgia State during the days and/or evenings. I had the opportunity to be involved in a major capital expansion project while working at the County and it gave me great exposure to technical, management and regulatory areas. I left the Public Sector and went into consulting to have broader exposure to larger and more varied projects. My background and education are a bit different than most in the engineering field. I believe my mix of hands-on experience, coupled with the skills I acquired through my Political Science education at Georgia State helped immensely in my career. Negotiation skills, understanding the political process, working to create consensus and being open to conflicting viewpoints are often as important as the technical aspects of many projects.
“When I was a student, I wish I had known….”
I should have taken a few more financial and accounting classes to complement my political science classes.
Joy Hawkins
“Most of my skills have been learned from diving in and doing something I was not trained to do in the past”
What are your typical day-to-day activities in your career?
In my current career with a needs-based scholarship program, my typical day is not typical; it varies widely from fundraising to revising program regulations to meeting with students and school personnel. I really like the variety that my current career includes.
When I began two years ago, the needs-based scholarship program had just launched. From that time until now, my job has included marketing the program, creating collateral, conducting strategic planning sessions and refining the program (based on a pilot phase). Now, I am transitioning into the newly created foundation that will conduct fundraising for the program. This is another exciting challenge.
What process did you go through to enter (or rise) to your position? Which skills and experiences distinguished you from other candidates?
My 30 years of experience working in the legal, nonprofit and political environments were the ideal set of experiences for my current position (VP of REACH). In previous careers, I have had to be entrepreneurial in my approach and this is certainly the case with my current position. Most of my skills have been learned from diving in and doing something I was not trained to do in the past. I have learned a lot about my passions and interest just by taking on tasks I have not done in the past.
Distinguishing me from other candidates could have been the fact that my creative side is a nice balance to my legal training. Additionally, I enjoy people and have learned to create amazing relationships and keep them over the years.
“When I was a student, I wish I had known….”
How important relationships really are! Every opportunity in my 30+ years has been because someone I knew referred me to the opportunity.
I also wish I had known that you don’t necessarily decide what you want to be in college/post-graduate work. School is foundational; it’s VERY IMPORTANT to try various jobs while in school to get an understanding about what you like and don’t like. It’s also important to know that most of what you learn in life is through new experiences. You will learn from listening, reading, watching and experimenting
Drew Dabney
“After finishing my BA in political science at Georgia State, I spent one year teaching overseas at an international school.”
What are your typical day-to-day activities in your career?
I am a high school social studies teacher. I teach 9th and 10th graders world history and geography. My duties include managing large classes of students and delivering instruction geared towards producing high learning outcomes.
What process did you go through to enter (or rise) to your position? Which skills and experiences distinguished you from other candidates?
After finishing my BA in political science at Georgia State, I spent one year teaching overseas at an international school. I then earned a Master’s in Education from UVA and began teaching in Virginia.
“When I was a student, I wish I had known….”
It is easier to be successful academically if you are consistent and disciplined from the beginning of your college career. I waited until later to apply myself in my studies and it was a lot harder to bring up my GPA.
I would also suggest doing internships to gain exposure to careers that may interest you. I did one tutoring at the Clarkston Community Center in metro Atlanta and it helped me to decide I was interested in teaching and doing something human service related.
Lane Stone
“I’m an author, so my days are spent writing or researching. Even though I mostly write mysteries, you still have to do the research if you want your readers to take the journey with you.”
What are your typical day-to-day activities in your career?
I’m an author, so my days are spent writing or researching. Even though I mostly write mysteries, you still have to do the research if you want your readers to take the journey with you.
What process did you go through to enter (or rise) to your position? Which skills and experiences distinguished you from other candidates?
It’s HARD to get traditionally published. Very. Hard. I never gave up. You get a lot of rejections, and it’s natural to get defensive. Finally, you realize that if a publisher takes the time to give you even one tiny suggestion, it’s a gift. Most just either never read your submission or don’t bother to respond.
Also, I write almost every day. Saturdays, Sundays, every day.
“When I was a student, I wish I had known….”
To participate in activities to make friends. I had to work most of the time I was in college so there wasn’t much time for anything else. What little downtime I had, I spent with high school friends. I’m jealous of people who have friends from college.
Rhakeim Miller
“The habits and ideologies that you adapt now are shaping the person that you will become. Find a mentor in the field you aspire to be in, and obtain internships in your respective field as well.”
What are your typical day-to-day activities in your career?
As a Director of Community Relations at the New York State Senate, there are no two days that are alike. Our district is located within the most diverse borough (county) in the United States. It is this diversity that creates a unique set of experiences and challenges each day. Working for one of the more influential and active members of the State legislature also brings a sense of pride and purpose. I am responsible for initiating, developing and maintaining relationships with business and community leaders, elected officials, non-profit groups, and government agencies. I speak at press conferences, meet with tenant leaders, and correspond with a variety of stakeholders all on behalf of the Senator. It’s my job to have the pulse of the district.
What process did you go through to enter (or rise) to your position? Which skills and experiences distinguished you from other candidates?
Upon graduation, it was my initial desire to remain in Atlanta. My mentor previously worked in the Shirley Franklin administration and was primed to begin work with Mayor Kasim Reed. I’d also just finished volunteering on the re-election campaign of Congressman John Lewis. Unfortunately, my enthusiasm did not translate into a desired position. To say I was disappointed would be an understatement. I did some introspection and reassessed my situation. For personal and professional reasons, I decided to move back to New York where I landed an internship at the New York City Council and was eventually hired. My persistence and ability to strategically network helped me get to connect with individuals who believed in my ability and were willing to vouch for me to get me where I am today.
“When I was a student, I wish I had known….”
I cannot say this enough: Be strategic! Be strategic in everything that you do. Unfortunately, some students think they have an infinite supply of time. “Anything lost can be found again, excepted for time wasted.” That’s not my quote, that’s Samuel L. Jackson’s in the film Fresh. The point is, respect your time and use it wisely. Surround yourself with smart, inspirational, and positive people. Life as a student can be hard. Not only are you worrying about academic deadlines and maintaining GPA’s, but you’re also finding yourself. The habits and ideologies that you adapt now are shaping the person that you will become. Find a mentor in the field you aspire to be in, and obtain internships in your respective field as well. Lastly, please love the major/subject matter in which you’re working towards. It will be the driving force behind your motivation and happiness.
Austin Roebuck
“As the Marine Government Relations Coordinator for Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA, I am primarily responsible for the activation of grassroots advocacy efforts within the marine industry.”
What are your typical day-to-day activities in your career?
As the Marine Government Relations Coordinator for Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA, I am primarily responsible for the activation of grassroots advocacy efforts within the marine industry. In this way, my work includes educating Members of Congress on key issues affecting our industry, working with Yamaha’s boat builder and dealer network to bring these issues to the top of the policy agenda, and contributing to a large coalition of stakeholders striving for the same policy goals. In addition to my GR responsibilities, working for Yamaha has given me the opportunity to develop strong public relations skills by writing press releases, organizing events, and supporting marketing division initiatives.
What process did you go through to enter (or rise) to your position? Which skills and experiences distinguished you from other candidates?
I believe that prior political experience was the main factor that set me apart when I began the interview process with Yamaha. Before coming to Yamaha I gained political experience by working as a Congressional Intern in the US House of Representatives, and then as a Senate Aide to Georgia’s Senate Majority Leader. Additionally, I worked on several campaigns and became involved in my state party to hone my political skills.
I would tell today’s college students and new grads that it is imperative to develop practical skills within your desired field. When a prospective hire has a strong skill set and the confidence to use his or her skills effectively, it will shine through to the hiring party.
“When I was a student, I wish I had known….”
As a young professional, I would tell my college-aged self that in the “real world” you will be required to be a chameleon, constantly adapting to the tasks at hand with the necessary skills for the situation. By developing a wide portfolio of skills, young professionals can rise to the occasions before them and expand their responsibilities within the workplace.
As a soon-to-be-married man, I would tell my college-aged self to always remember that a career is not everything. While success at work is a very good thing, developing faith, integrity, courage, joy and love is of much greater value than anything you will find in the workplace alone.
Brittany Spornhauer Bennett
“I am currently in my second year of Law School at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia on track to graduate and take the Bar Examination in May of 2016.”
What are your typical day-to-day activities in your career?
I am currently in my second year of Law School at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia on track to graduate and take the Bar Examination in May of 2016. I am simultaneously interning as a Law Clerk at the Houston County District Attorney’s Office. I also draft Appellate Briefs and Response Briefs for Workers’ Compensation cases. When I am not researching, writing, reading cases, or studying, I am observing trials, plea hearings, and assisting with any criminal procedure tasks such as entering conviction information into the system, assigned by the District Attorney or Assistant District Attorneys.
What process did you go through to enter (or rise) to your position? Which skills and experiences distinguished you from other candidates?
While attending Georgia State University I minored in Political Science, which is a preferred field of study for law school applicants. I also studied and took the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) during my final semester at Georgia State University. Upon receiving my Bachelor’s Degree and completing the LSAT, I submitted my application to Mercer University and was accepted in 2013. While taking required courses I have been elected President of student run organization Mercer Law Republicans, interned with a private attorney and currently write Appellate Briefs for a Workers’ Compensation Lawyer. My academic achievements, as well as my ability to balance internships, course work, and lead an organization, has distinguished me from other candidates and allowed me to move forward in pursuing a legal career.
“When I was a student, I wish I had known….”
As an undergraduate student, I wish I had known how invaluable the student organizations on campus were. I had the opportunity to join Moot Court and Mock Trial at Georgia State University and chose not to because I was working at a Bankruptcy Law Firm and did not have the time to commit to the teams. However, I wish I would have made time because the skills I would have obtained would have further prepared me to compete within law school competitions. Had I known the importance of trial advocacy skills to be gained through these programs, I would have taken advantage of the opportunity to participate.
Ron Aribo
“Networking is the easiest way to land opportunities. Join organizations on campus and keep in touch with professors and other important people on campus, they’ll think of you when an offer comes their way to refer a student to a job or internship.”
What are your typical day-to-day activities in your career?
My work as an Analyst at the Government Accountability Office consists of interviewing for information, developing researchable questions, working collaboratively on an audit team, evaluating programs, writing reports, and developing recommendations to improve the efficiency and/or effectiveness of programs.
What process did you go through to enter (or rise) to your position? Which skills and experiences distinguished you from other candidates?
In October of 2012, I finished Officer Candidate School for the United States Army Reserves. In the military, I learned that the most important attribute in being a good leader is decision making and service to others. Shortly after finishing, I started working at the Department of Veterans Affairs as a purchasing agent. While working, I continued my education and earned a Master’s Degree in Public Administration. In the summer, I interned with the Government Accountability Office on the Natural Resource and Environment team.
“When I was a student, I wish I had known….”
Networking is the easiest way to land opportunities. Join organizations on campus and keep in touch with professors and other important people on campus, they’ll think of you when an offer comes their way to refer a student to a job or internship. Don’t forget to be yourself because no one can do it better! Benjamin Elijah Mays said, “Whatever you do, strive to do it so well that no man living and no man dead and no man yet to be born could do it any better.”
Sean Ditzel
“When I was a student, I wish I had known that the habits you make in college generally stay with you for life!”
What are your typical day-to-day activities in your career?
I am an attorney at a boutique family law firm in Atlanta. I represent mostly high net-worth and high profile individuals through various family law matter including adoption, divorce, child support and custody. When I am not drafting/researching discovery and pleadings, I am frequently in court, deposition or mediation.
What process did you go through to enter (or rise) to your position? Which skills and experiences distinguished you from other candidates?
I started as a pre-law political science student and president of the pre-law club at Georgia State, learning from very knowledgeable professors about my future profession. I then attended law school at UGA, where in addition to a grueling class schedule I also participated in the Mock Trial Advocacy Team and Student Bar Organization. Now, as an attorney, in addition to my daily work I stay involved in various bar organizations. I believe that having a well-rounded experience in school and in your career helps keep you balanced and prevents you from “burning out.”
“When I was a student, I wish I had known….”
When I was a student, I wish I had known that the habits you make in college generally stay with you for life! For instance, I took all early classes and loved being a morning person in college. Now, I still tend to be a morning person even if I fight that urge.
“Nothing is worth it if you aren’t happy. There are a lot of positions and jobs out there (especially in the law field) that seem prestigious and come with a major payout, but if they don’t fulfill you, they aren’t worth it.”
What are your typical day-to-day activities in your career?
I am over halfway through law school and graduate school, receiving my J.D. with a specialization in Environmental Law, and an M.S. in International Development, both from Tulane in New Orleans. Currently, I have two jobs on top of school, and working as the Senior Articles Editor for the Tulane Journal of Intl and Comparative Law– I am a Teaching Assistant for a graduate level Economic Development class, and a Research Assistant for a joint venture by the Environmental Law Institute and the UN Environment Programme called “Environmental Peacebuilding”. A lot of what I do is research, writing, logistics, and giving/receiving feedback. Law school and graduate school are also very reading intensive, so I spend probably more time than is healthy with a book in my nose. On a typical day, I spend an average of 4 hours in class, 6-10 hours studying and preparing for class, finals, and journal (i.e. reading, writing memos, preparing research) and the rest of my time is spent working on selecting and editing articles for the Peacebuilding books, selecting articles for journal publication, grading and preparing economics homework, and eating a lot of food (Hey, New Orleans, right?!)
What process did you go through to enter (or rise) to your position? Which skills and experiences distinguished you from other candidates?
After graduating from Georgia State, I worked at a law firm in Atlanta as a litigation practice assistant while I studied for the LSAT and applied to law school. After getting accepted to Tulane (and Georgia State!), I took the summer off and traveled before starting school. I like to think that my Model United Nations experience and involvement at Georgia State put me ahead of the pack for law school applications. However, I think a big part of what distinguished me is that I was willing to take risks and be vulnerable by asking for help. My grades weren’t awesome in undergraduate (18- 20 was a fun time J), but I worked really hard at making personal connections with practitioners and finding the right place for me … Tulane had a top environment program, an international focus, and recognized the benefit of having a slightly less “traditional” student around. Know how to sell yourself, what your strengths are, and don’t shy away from your weaknesses.
“When I was a student, I wish I had known….”
Nothing is worth it if you aren’t happy. There are a lot of positions and jobs out there (especially in the law field) that seem prestigious and come with a major pay out, but if they don’t fulfill you, they aren’t worth it. Similarly, know your worth and don’t be afraid to say no when you don’t think a job or opportunity is recognizing it. The right opportunity is out there, and if you work hard and remain true to yourself, you will find it. You are smart, you are competent, and you are successful already. Don’t let anyone tell you or make you think otherwise!
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Department of Political Science
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Georgia State University
Department of Political Science
P.O. Box 3965
Atlanta, GA 30302