Career Competencies and Skills
Throughout my experience in my undergraduate degree, I believe that the most vital career competencies I have mastered would be effective communication and critical thinking skills that pertain to both policy analysis and psychological phenomena.
Examples of effective communication and critical thinking skills:
Public Health Study Abroad (May 2024- Junior Summer)
During my time in Norway and Sweden, I was given the opportunity to communicate with people of different cultures and field disciplines about the world of Public Health and Policy procedures. Furthermore, the last and most important assignment for this course was to create a journal filled with entries that reflected on each day's lesson, and what we personally took from that experience. That journal assignment allowed me to critically think about the course as a whole, but also what I personally learned and achieved through this course.
Psychology of Women Honors Contract (Fall Semester 2025- Senior Year)
While enrolled in a course called The Psychology of Women, I completed an honors research paper discussing the "Exploration of the Prevalence of Eating Disorders in Women." This paper was reflective of the course material and focused on the section covering women's societal predisposition to eating disorders. As I completed this research paper, I became more confident with communicating my understanding of research material related to psychological and social norms.
Food Pantry Volunteering (March 2025-Present)
Starting my Junior year, I have been consistently volunteering at Westminster Neighborhood Services. This is a local social services organization that provides community connections via educational support and access to basic needs, such as food. I personally help volunteer at their food pantry every Tuesday evening and have been able to oversee their social support policy process. This experience has helped my communication and critical thinking skills when interacting with the community, and has reaffirmed my passion for social reform and policy work via non-profits.
Reflection:
Although these experiences are all relatively different, I believe that each of them provided me with unique perspective in terms of critical thinking skills and communication, in relation to policy and psychology. For instance, the study abroad opportunity allowed me to further my critical thinking and communication skills with an entirely new set of academics and policymakers, that had perspectives aligned with a society vastly different than our norm. Similarly, my communication skills were enhanced through rigorous psychology research papers, such as my honors contract for Psychology of Women. Lastly, my volunteering experience gave me the opportunity to use my skills from the academic setting, in the real-world. These different and well-round skills will allow me to more easily navigate a career in policy, as critical thinking and communication are the two most vital compentencies necessary for success in that field.
