Month: April 2016

Career

Shelby Powers

powers.440@osu.edu | |www.linkedin.com/in/shelbypowers

Education

The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, Bachelor of Arts                       anticipated May 2018

  • Political Science and Strategic Communication, minor in Arabic
  • 3.69/4.0 GPA, Dean’s List
    • Study Abroad Trip to New Delhi and Varanasi, India                                                           May 2015
    • Improved my understanding of Indian culture, history, and societal norms

Work Experience

Us Together Refugee Resettlement, Citizenship Education Intern          January 2016-present

  • Planning lessons for small classes of refugees and immigrants preparing for the naturalization test
  • Adapting to meet the needs of students’ various English levels
  • Learning about the needs and functions of a nonprofit environment

Ohio Senate, State Sen. Michael Skindell (23rd District), Page         June 2015-December 2015

  • Interacting with constituents via phone and email in a professional, clear manner
  • Utilizing Excel to organize a database of constituency information
  • Gaining Insight on the State Budget Passage Process
  • Organizing legislation and proof-reading floor speeches for the senator

 The Ohio State University Office of Student Life, Office Assistant                Sept 2014-Oct 2015

  • Answering and forwarding phone calls and scheduling events in Google Calendar
  • Organize and distribute incoming mail and packages to residents
  • Directed over 500 students and their parents through Move-In Day Check-In Process
  • Evaluating safety risks and contacting appropriate resources for situations

Leadership and Service

The Women’s Fund of Central Ohio, Grant Reader                                         October 2015-present

  • Assessing grant applications based on their potential to create social change and improve women’s status
  • Encouraging “Leadership for Women, Life skills for Girls,” and “Economic Self-Sufficiency for Women”
  • Collaborating with a small group of women to effectively evaluate and score grants

OIA English Language Conversation Program, Group Facilitator       September 2015-present

  • Organizing relevant events for small groups of international and American students
  • Fostering a respectful environment conducive to cross-cultural communication

Ohio State International Affairs Scholars Program                                          August 2014-present

  • Building community of internationally-minded, motivated students through the study of globalization
  • Participating in internationally themed events with faculty and other first and second year scholars
  • Mentoring a first year student within the Global Citizenship Community Program

Extra Curricular Activities

  • Senior Editor for The Algerian Political Science and International Relations Journal          2015-2016
  • Undergraduate Student Government Academic Affairs Committee Member                         2015-2016 
  • Collegiate Council on World Affairs Member                                                                                  2014-2016

Technical and Language Skills

  • Spanish: basic, 4 years of experience (reading, speaking, writing)
  • Modern Standard Arabic: basic, 1.5 years of experience (reading, speaking, writing)
  • Extremely competent in Microsoft Office Programs (Word, PowerPoint, Excel)
  • Basic R Statistical Computing Software Ability

G.O.A.L.S.

Global Awareness: This has been my favorite aspect of the G.O.A.L.S. and the one that I have spent the most time focused on. Last year I went on the Honors and Scholars study abroad trip to India, and this summer I accepted a critical language scholarship from the U.S. Department of State to study Arabic for eight weeks in Morocco.  These experiences, and the courses that I have taken related to them have opened my eyes to two unique cultures and given me a lot of insight on a deeper level than the ‘single story’ that we are fed about places. Travel and learning a new language have also taken me outside of my comfort zone and challenged me to grow.

 

Original Inquiry: I am in the beginning phases of research right now, contacting professors and keeping an eye out for opportunities. I plan on taking a political science class focused on research development next spring. I am hoping to combine my academic interests and do research on something involving the Middle East, media, and public opinion.

 
Academic Enrichment: As a curious person I have always loved school and learning. Through my two majors (political science and strategic communication), and my Arabic minor, I get to cover a broad range of subjects and gain a variety of skills, from AP Style to classical Arabic grammar.

 
Leadership Development: I am currently a senior editor for (a recently re-named) student-run publication called Alger Magazine, which provides thoughtful analysis and commentary on current events. This role has allowed me to hone my writing and editing skills, and become educated about many world issues. I throughly enjoy helping writers to shape their voice and structure and strengthen their skills.

 
Service Engagement: Both of the internships that I have held in my two years at Ohio State have been service related. The first, working as a Senate Page, involved serving the constituents of a state senate district, and my more recent internship, teaching citizenship education classes has allowed me to serve immigrants and refugees as they prepare for their naturalization exam in order to become U.S. citizens.