Current position and employer: Research Assistant for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Veterans' Affairs

Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah

Current City: Washington, DC

Why did you choose McCourt? I chose McCourt so I could live and take classes in the best city for public policy! Washington DC is the best location for foreign and congressional policy in the United States. By attending McCourt, I was able to attend talks and lectures, intern on the Hill, and take classes from professors that have had a previous career in foreign policy and national security.

What was the best part of your experience? Developing a tight community even during a pandemic has been the best experience at McCourt for me! Students attending McCourt are all passionate about public policy, and making positive change happen in a broad area so it has been a great environment to be able to throw around ideas and be challenged by classmates both during class, or in our free time.

What internships did you have during your time at McCourt? During the summer I interned at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories as a government affairs intern. As an intern I got to work on several projects surrounding critical infrastructure and cybersecurity. During the fall of my second year, I interned on the Energy and Commerce Committee in the House of Representatives where I had the opportunity to draft questions for hearings, conduct bill research, and brief senior staff on issues related to the Committee.

Student organization involvement while at McCourt: I was involved in the Latin America Policy Association (LAPA) and the Migration and Refugee Policy Initiative (MRPI). I was also a senior online editor with the Georgetown Public Policy Review.

Undergraduate University, degree, and major: Gonzaga University, BA in History and International Relations

Hobbies / Interests: In my free time, I enjoy hiking, cooking, playing basketball, and nerding out about Game of Thrones!