Archive

An Education Panacea? This is the Capstone or degree culmination project for a Master of Policy Studies from the University of Washington. Traditionally, the project takes a year of planning, research, study, drafting, and re-working; to finally end as a published addition to the University of Washington library. My study centered on a unique education program, Navigation 101, touted as a “cure-all” for the ails of the Washington state dropout rate in addition to other public education problems. I include it here because it is a demonstration of my ability as a researcher to: develop a cache of relevant data, engage complicated statistical analysis of that data, and draw meaningful conclusions.

The Marshall Plan for Teaching. As a first-year Graduate student, in Education Policy (BPOLST 586) I wrote this paper as the final submission for the course. The topic was intriguing since it is an exploration into Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond’s request for the United States Congress to consider the foreign policy reform, known in short-hand as the ‘Marshall Plan’, as applicable to the American public education system. Following completion of the course, I submitted this paper for inclusion into the University of Washington Bothell, Policy Journal. I include it here since, not only was it accepted to the Policy Journal, it was the demonstration of how effective policy is not constrained to one field: sometimes thinking ‘outside the box’ is a value in and of itself since it demonstrates, if nothing else, a tenacity and willpower to solve a problem.

The Other Side. At the beginning of the final year for the Master of Policy Studies, I was fortunate enough to earn a Narrative Service Civic Fellowship for the academic year, from 2011-12. My responsibilities as a Fellow included researching and documenting acts of service in such a way as to inspire acts of service in the University of Washington student community. This article appeared on the front page of the monthly Community-Based Learning and Research newsletter. It was heralded at the annual CommUNITY Luncheon, held in celebration of strides of community outreach efforts, as a voice to support other significant  contributions to community learning. I include it here as a testament to my belief that inspiration is deeply ingrained in acts of service.

4Culture Data Analyst Report (And Data Sheet). The internship as Data Analyst with 4Culture was an extension of my Public Finance course project during Graduate school. Essentially, 4Culture lacked the means to measure the effectiveness of funding provided to King County publically-commissioned arts projects: in terms of benefit provided to the public. My project successfully satisfied the needs of 4Culture as demonstration of how to effectively utilize existing individual project reporting. I include it here as a representation of the application of my techniques and skills as a Policy Studies Graduate student.

A “Pain in the Mouth” – Real Change. As a Graduate student awarded a Narrative Service Civic Fellowship, it was left to my discretion how to best capsulize my service project. Having a strength for expository writing, I decided to seek out the local, non-profit Real Change publication for open positions as a contributing writer. Following an application process, I was offered an assignment: how has recent legislation impacted access to dental services for impoverished communities; and how have local area hospitals ‘stepped up’ in the wake of devastating legislation? My article concludes with how readers can gain access to much needed medical facilities and procedures. I include it here as an illustration of my support for social justice outreach and advocacy; and for specifically targeting one of my three passionate topics: housing, education, and the ‘right to access’.