As I stood among the fields blanketed by that morning’s dew, the sudden warmth of the rising summer sun washing over my face affirmed in my mind what my heart felt called to do.Although I’ve spent my whole life moving across the country, and the globe, this transformative experience I had on the front step of my farmhouse in rural Illinois clarified two points in my mind: first, my heart belongs to the small towns, dusty country roads, and tightknit communities that raised me, and which need dedicated and capable individuals to fight with them against the countless struggles that threaten them daily. Second, these challenges (political, economic, social, and environmental) have as much to do with national and international affairs as they do with the village hall meetings, church get-togethers, and homecoming parades they impact.Seizing the opportunity to venture out into the world in order to gain the knowledge and skills I desired, I focused my studies on international politics, governance systems, political theory, international economics, and more recently global energy systems, environmental management, policy processes, and rural development. In particular, the role China plays in our world and hometowns fascinates me and continues to guide my exploration into all these topics.After learning Mandarin Chinese to a professional level, I invested my newfound knowledge, long-held passions, and never-ceasing curiosity in a two-year, intensive master’s program in Nanjing, China. While in the “Middle Kingdom,” my various academic pursuits culminated in an extensive research project that compared the policy implementation processes of two villages from the US and China. Aside from highlighting tantalizing similarities in the methods two radically different rural areas utilize to create and implement policies, the process of researching, networking, and obtaining concrete conclusions directly applicable to rural communities has energized my ambitions.Moving forward, I yearn to find a career that allows me to wed my studies, experiences, goals, and passions for the benefit of the people and places which I am committed to serving.Specialties: Mandarin Chinese, research and analysis, team building, group leadership, event organizing, writing and communication, brainstorming and problem solving.
Listed skills include Editing, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Word, and 2 others.