Viking Life Winter 2022-23

VIKING LIFE

STUDENT LIFE AT AUGUSTANA UNIVERSITY

VIKING LIFE

Augustana University believes that to create a bold future, students must discover ground-breaking ideas through the liberal arts. Life as a Viking is rewarding, forward-thinging and, of course, fun! Viking Life is published for prospective students by the Office of Strategic Communications & Marketing and Office of Admission.

MISSION

Inspired by Lutheran scholarly tradition and the liberal arts, Augustana provides an education of enduring worth that challenges the intellect, fosters integrity and integrates faith with learning and service in a diverse world.

VISION

Augustana University aspires to become one of America’s premier church-related universities.

CORE VALUES

Central to the Augustana experience are five core values. The community lives them and honors them, and they infuse the academic curriculum, as well as student life: Christian, Liberal Arts, Excellence, Community and Service.

CONTACT

admission@augie.edu 800.727.2844

The Office of Admission 2001 S. Summit Ave. Sioux Falls, SD 57197 augie.edu/admission EDITOR Jeni Fjelstad ‘22

CONTRIBUTORS

Keeley Meier ‘20 Jill Wilson

UNIVERSITY LEADERSHIP

President Stephanie Herseth Sandlin

Augustana is an affirmative action, Title IX, equal opportunity institution.

VIKING VIEWS

Call for Code Global Challenge

Augustana Hammocking Club

Anatomage Virtual Cadaver Table

Augustana Research Institute

Meet Sara Alhasnawi ’23

SCIENTIST, ADVOCATE FUTURE PHYSICIAN

Sara Alhasnawi ’23 spent this past summer researching neuropharmacology at the University of Minnesota within the Life Sciences Summer Undergraduate Research Program (LSSURP). Each time the biochemistry and Spanish major from Sioux Falls analyzes experiment results, she’s one step closer to her dream of becoming a physician scientist.

The research, which has an “independent feel” provides her with the foundation to potentially propel her into a graduate program, and eventually, a doctorate program.

“I can’t even tell you how valuable that’s going to be for me after I graduate,” Alhasnawi said. “To get this research opportunity, Augie is what set me up for it.”

Such a prestigious internship didn’t come effortlessly. Alhasnawi spent previous summers at Augustana researching and forming connections.

“If it weren’t for the professors in the chemistry department, I don’t think I would have known about it,” Alhasnawi said. “It’s all thanks to them that I am really aware of these career opportunities.”

During Summer 2021, she performed anti-cancer research under Dr. Jared Mays, former professor of chemistry. With Mays as her advisor, professor and research supervisor, Alhasnawi felt welcome to bring up any question or request to him, who freely returned letters of recommendation and advice.

The close relationships she is able to have with professors is Alhasnawi’s favorite part about AU.

“I’m really glad that our chemistry professors are just very open to helping students,” Alhasnawi said. “They’re always looking out for us, from Dr. (Jetty) Duffy-Matzner making us cookies and passing them out while we’re in the study rooms to Dr. Mays always coming by to ask how we’re doing and Dr. (Barrett) Eichler doing the same.”

The student scientist has also been a teacher’s assistant (TA) for chemistry labs since her first year, which allows her to connect with younger students and share her expertise in the lab. The future doctor isn’t leaving the lab anytime soon, either. She hopes to both continue research and practice medicine.

Alhasnawi has goals that stretch beyond a career in the clinic and laboratory. As 2022-23 Augustana Student Association (ASA) president, she’s advocating for increased engagement in campus activities and more diverse community connections.

Her student government journey started when she became

the Asian Student Organization (ASO) senator for ASA her sophomore year. During this time, she discovered her passion for social justice, community building and facilitating cultural exchange.

“It’s something so special about Augie,” Alhasnawi said. “I can’t even stress how welcoming it feels to see organizations like that on campus. It makes Augie feel more like home when you have that community building aspect to it.”

Alhasnawi’s first on-campus leadership position was serving as co-president of Better Together, AU’s interfaith group. Advised by Rev. Ann Rosendale ‘04, campus pastor, the group recognizes Augustana’s roots in Lutheran traditions while making sure there’s space for everyone to feel at home on campus. Her two years in this position allowed for both self-exploration as a Muslim woman and learning that students with different religions can still have the same goals, which allowed them to work together to help refugees and low-income mothers.

As a future doctor with the ability to help people of all backgrounds and faiths, this experience will help her better connect with patients.

“There’s so much connection that you can build through just going to an event on campus or participating as an officer in one of the organizations on campus,” Alhasnawi said. “It builds a lot of communication and leadership skills. It’s a transferable skill to whichever career you end up in. Other than that, it’s a stress relief outside of academics.”

INTERN Henry Sule ’24

Augustana University student Henry Sule ‘24, of Jos, Nigeria, is double majoring in finance and government & international affairs with minors in business administration and computer information systems. Sule interned this past summer at Marsh McLennan Agency (MMA), located at Cherapa Place in downtown Sioux Falls. With MMA, Sule gained experience in business insurance, employee health and benefits, as well as private client services with the opportunity to focus on an area of his choice for the last half of the internship.

What are your career goalsaspirations?

Long term, I would like to start an agribusiness company back home to better utilize my country’s resources while diversifying the sources of income. Whatever I do, I know that I want to do work that values people, is sustainable and has a higher mission than profits.

What did you like most about your internship?

I knew so little about insurance coming into the internship, and I did not really see myself as someone who would work in insurance in the future, but my time at MMA truly exposed me to the insurance world in a way that I had not previously seen. The internship was really an opportunity for me to grow not only in my understanding of insurance, but as a professional. I learned about the different lines of insurance offered for businesses and where the possible exposures of a pig farm may be, but I also learned how to ask questions, market myself as a professional and work with a team to produce exceptional results. I really love that this internship was structured to develop exceptional young professionals, not just cogs in a machine.

What did you hope to learn or gain from the internship?

I have learned so much about insurance from an agency standpoint and how much consulting really comes into play in terms of an agency. I would love to continue to build relationships with my fellow interns and colleagues of MMA to build lasting relationships where I can learn from the wealth of knowledge that exists at the company. I would also love to learn more about the qualities of a successful business and how processes, decisions and people really drive the success of business.

Why is experiential learning so important to you in your future endeavors?

My internship taught me skills that I would not have been able to learn as easily or effectively seated in a classroom. My internship allowed me to put skills into practice that I had only previously learned and thought about. There really is no substitute for experiential learning. The opportunities I had have helped me narrow my focus on what I want to do in the future, and also learn practical skills and gain knowledge that I can use in the future.

How important is building relationships and connections?

Building relationships is immensely important to learning more about yourself and different perspectives. As a business student, I have also learned just how important relationships are in terms of networking and being able to have a system of support and communication. Through my relationships, I have found out about opportunities that may have otherwise eluded me, and I have been able to learn about topics and issues that are normally outside my realm of interest.

Janai Crawford ’23 INTERN

Sports Medicine Internship in Australia

Augustana University student Janai Crawford ‘23, of Tea, South Dakota, is pre-physical therapy, majored in exercise science and on her way to earning a Master of Science in athletic training (MSAT). Crawford wants to become a physical therapist and specialize in sports medicine. This past summer, she fulfilled a goal that had been years in the making — securing an internship with LifeCare Prahran Sports Medicine in Melbourne, Australia.

What are the reasons you chose Augustana?

When I was walking around campus during my campus visit and during my discussions with faculty, I was never made to feel as though I was just a number. There were people shouting

across campus that I should choose Augie, and my family and I were joking around with my guides; it really just felt like Augustana could be a home away from home.

How did you get the internship? Did anyone help you? What did that jourey look like?

I had been planning an internship of this kind for years, gathering as many pamphlets from study away fairs as possible. A representative from The Education Abroad Network (TEAN) came to speak during one of my exercise science classes so I was more familiar with their program offerings than some other organiza-

tions. I approached Erin Kane (associate director of International Programs) with some of the organizations and programs I was interested in and sought out her advice and assistance with getting this dream off the ground. She put me in contact with representatives from the companies I was looking into and I decided to apply to TEAN and ISA’s Australian internship program. I cannot even begin to name all of the people who have helped along this journey, between my family who has supported my adventurous nature, faculty who helped me organize the educational component of this internship necessary for my VISA, and the organizations which awarded scholarships to lessen the financial burden of this amazing opportunity.

What did your job duties include?

What did you hope to gain from the internship?

I hoped to continue to grow in the skills and knowledge base that I have gained during my time in the athletic training program. Another goal of this internship was to gain a better understanding of the day-to-day life of a physical therapist and whether or not I would like to specialize in sports medicine.

Why is experiential learning so important to you in your future endeavors?

JANAI CRAWFORD ’23 Master of Science in Athletic Training

My responsibilities included assisting with rehabilitation exercises, analyzing faulty biomechanical patterns, research assistance (organizing data), performing strength assessments, gathering patient evaluation forms and helping around the clinic with cleaning and organization.

What did you like most about your internship?

There were so many things that I loved about this internship that it is extremely difficult to pick what I like most. The people who I worked with are amazing and at the forefront of sports medicine research. I loved watching myself grow from week to week, and I really enjoyed working with the patients in the gym on their rehabilitation and seeing how far they have come in the short span that I have known them.

Physical therapy itself is a field dependent upon handson experience (our evaluation tactics are heavily reliant on recognizing the feel and movement patterns of healthy joints and muscles and distinguishing these from improperly functioning systems).

How important is building good relationships and connections?

Building relationships is extremely important in physical therapy. Establishing relationships with your patients in which they trust you and your knowledge to help them heal is critical in rehabilitation. They need to know that you are there to assist them in achieving their goals; that you are going to push them but never push them too far. Developing a network between colleagues is also important as it allows you to have people who you can bounce ideas off of and aids in making referrals between different fields of specialization and professions.

The people who I worked with are amazing and at the forefront of sports medicine research.

STUDENT INVOLVEMENT

Welcome Week

Viking Days

HANDS-ON HISTORY

Anthropology Major Digs up Study-Away Opportunities in Nebraska, Southwest

Tori Brandt ‘24 has always been interested in the past. At six years old, a Pompeii exhibit at a local science museum captured her interest. At eight years old, she visited an archaeological site in Mitchell, South Dakota, for the first time. That’s where she discovered history wasn’t just in books.

Brandt discovered that she could pursue a hands-on career outdoors, digging in the dirt, finding bones, pottery and tools of societies passed. Now, as an anthropology major at Augustana University, pursuing her ideal career is taking her across the country and around the world.

“I’m looking forward to traveling around because I feel as an anthropologist, you really need to go elsewhere,” Brandt said. “You need to experience cultures that are not your own.”

The anthropology, Spanish and STEM composite triple major traveled to the Southwest United States during Spring Break 2022 and attended field school in Nebraska in June 2022. Both programs were led by Augustana Professor of Anthropology Dr. Kristen (K.C.) Carlson. Brandt, who first discovered Augustana through the anthropology department’s work at the Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village, loved the size and opportunity the department offered.

“We all know each other, so it’s easy to reach out and make those connections,” said Brandt.

At archaeology field school, students learn excavation — a vital skill for their future careers. At the Plains Village site in Lynch, Nebraska, students learn to mark and map work areas, collect and understand data, dig with sharp trowels into the layers of earth and test soil, as well as identify bones, stone tools and pottery. They then backfill everything so the site is ready for future students.

“Living in the Midwest, there’s so much to do with Plains Village archaeology,” Brandt said. “You’re surrounded by it all the time.”

The opportunity to learn about and respectfully study

these Native American sites and histories played a role in both of Brandt’s trips. In Nebraska, students worked at a site, that is the ancestral land of the Pawnee and the Arikara nations.

“I go into trips and field school with the mindset that this history is not mine,” she said. “I have the opportunity to help this native nation discover their past.”

Brandt’s ultimate interest is forensics, which she’s been able to pursue through taking additional chemistry classes and pursuing a forensic research project in the Augustana Archaeology Lab. The project, which she presented at AU’s annual Arthur Olsen Student Research Symposium and to the South Dakota Archaeological Society, focused on the different effects that blunt objects versus surface collisions have on bones.

“Augustana encourages a well-rounded student, which I appreciate because you can be in so many different things,” Brandt said. “I can be in the humanities, chemistry, the sciences and have three majors. Plus, I can be in all of these different clubs.”

Brandt is part of the anthropology club, Student Members of the American Chemical Society (SMACS), Women in STEM, La Unión Hispana and is an Augustana Cultural Exchange (ACE) ambassador for international students.

“It’s so nice to experience all these different things, because I know it makes me better as a person,” Brandt said. “It gives me opportunities for my future that I know could benefit me.”

Brandt’s hands-on anthropology studies have taken her to England, where she’s studying abroad in Fall Semester 2022 at the University of Exeter, through Augustana’s anthropology exchange program. There, she’ll expand her education with more forensics classes, while meeting people from all over the world.

Field School, Lynch, Nebraska

Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village

A Summer in Berlin

MAJOR’S FIRST TRIP ABROAD

Annaliese Wagers’ class usually took place at the Freie (Free) University of Berlin but, occasionally, the professor would take them to a local coffee shop, where they’d spend six hours debating real-world issues in German.

“That was definitely something that helped us with our German skills because we had to think on our feet, develop arguments and counter arguments, listen to each other and find the vocabulary,” Wagers ‘24 said.

To get to the cafe-classroom, Wagers, who majors in government & international affairs, French and languages, literatures & cultures at Augustana University, sorted through many available program options to find the best fit — with assistance from the Augustana International Programs Office (IPO).

“They helped me find the perfect program for me, and they were amazing,” Wagers said. “Throughout the entire process, they were just so helpful.”

many Berlin locals patiently communicated with her — providing her the opportunity to engage in conversations outside of classes and fully immerse herself in learning German.

In Berlin, Wagers was placed with a host family that showed her good places to visit in the city, helped her adjust and recommended activities. Wagers’ host sister, who is approximately the same age, took her on a trip to Hamburg to see another host sister. Home-cooked meals, such as a noodle and beef dish, was one of her favorite parts of living with a host family.

“They were just incredibly welcoming,” Wagers said. “I absolutely loved it. If I ever go back, I’ll make sure I go and visit them.”

During her time there, Wagers was able to travel to Cologne, Heidelberg and Frankfurt with her new friends, as well as her family, who came to visit at the end of her trip. She took advantage of Europe’s accessible train system for a spontaneous day trip to Dresden and Leipzig.

At Augustana, Wagers is part of the Augustana Student Association (ASA) and IGNITE, a leadership group for women. She plans to study in Grenoble, France, in Spring 2024, and recommends that everyone who is able to study away goes at least once.

ANNALIESE WAGERS ’24

Government & International Affairs, French and Languages, Literatures & Cultures Major

The summer study-away trip was the Augustana student’s first time leaving the U.S. Wagers spent two months studying intensive language and exploring nearby German cities. She hoped the trip would be an effective way to practice German after six years of study. Although the many English speakers there make it an accessible study-away location for anyone,

The Augustana University International Programs Office (IPO) supports international students, students who study away and those adjusting to life in the U.S. and abroad.

“It helps build communication skills,” Wagers said. “It helps you learn how to be flexible and adaptable and get used to new situations.

I think it also gives you a more worldly perspective.”

Wagers hopes that her travel experience and mastery of languages will help her in the future, with plans of entering international relations with a non-governmental organization, the United Nations or state department.

Augustana University Classics Professor Dr. Rocki Wentzel’s recent research compares Stranger Things to katabasis — an underworld journey — and one of her courses examines Pretty Woman, among many other films, as a Pygmalion myth. Wentzel, who teaches Greek and Latin, makes ancient myths relevant through teaching science fiction and romantic comedies.

“Classics is interdisciplinary by nature,” Wentzel said. “It is the study of ancient Greece and Rome, their languages, literature, philosophy, history, religion and archaeology. My area of research is called classical reception, which deals with the treatment of Greco-Roman material in literature and other media.”

Although the core of her field dates back more than 2,500 years, Wentzel looks at how the ideas, myths and traditions of that time appear in modern television and film.

Wentzel could look at obvious representations, like the Hercules movies, but she prefers to find more implicit or hidden forms that are being received today. That’s how Wentzel stumbled upon the most surprising aspect of her academic specialty: technology.

“I’ve been working a lot on film, but particularly films that are about technology and technological creatures,” Wentzel explained. “So, robots, artificial intelligence (AI), cyborgs and the myths that come out in those stories.”

PROFESSOR COMBINES ANCIENT MYTHOLOGY & MODERN TECHNOLOGY SUCCESS EXPLORE MAJORS

Robots, AI and cell phones seem modern or futuristic, but for Wentzel, they are a site for discussing foundational ideas of ancient Greece and Rome. This intersection is what students learn about in her First-Year Seminar (FYS) course “Robot Love.”

Wentzel’s course starts with the Pygmalion myth, which is about a man who creates and loves a statue so much that Venus/Aphrodite brings her to life. The class must ask, “What is our relationship with our creations? How do they reflect who we are? What do they reveal about what it means to be human?”

From there, the class takes off. In other classes, such as Classical Mythology, Wentzel said she loves to let students bring their creative side to projects.

“I’ve discovered that I have many great artists, musicians, writers and performers among my students this way,” Wentzel said.

Some have created their own version of a myth in song, prose or a board game, such as The Game of Life or Monopoly: Mythology Edition.

Anyone who’s been on the 2nd-floor of the Fryxell Humanities Center has felt the influence of classics, as two murals wrap around the core of the building. One shows the conjugations of luo, meaning to free or destroy (“to loose”) in Greek, and amo, which means to love in Latin. The latter mural was created by Wentzel and the Classics Society over the course of 50 hours during a J-Term. They used small brushes and multiple colors of paint to create the lists of verb forms.

Tucked inside the Augustana Religion, Philosophy & Classics Department, the classics major studies ancient Roman and Greek societies, which includes learning to translate Greek and Latin language.

Since there is no conversation component, classics courses dive into text translations of upper-level poetry sooner than modern language students might.

“Translating this way is like solving a big puzzle,” Wentzel said. “If you like puzzles, you’ll like Latin and Greek.”

Wentzel leads her students across the globe on J-Term courses to Greece, which sometimes includes a stop in London. Besides the Jello-blue water of the Mediterranean and picturesque landscape, Wentzel’s favorite part is meeting the guides and locals.

“We’ve eaten so many wonderful meals — always these late 3-hour-long dinners,” Wentzel said. “One of the best things is getting to know the people we work with there. We just have so many warm and memorable interactions.”

Overall, Wentzel said these trips help students understand and connect with world issues, like Greece’s financial crisis, because they’ve formed relationships with local people.

“If you don’t know anybody there, it’s hard for it to be real to you,” she said. “But when you know people there who are being affected by whatever’s going on, I think it’s different.”

When she’s not traveling the world or studying movies, Wentzel is playing violin with the Augustana Orchestra, a skill she picked up in her 30s alongside her child.

“I love it,” Wentzel said. “And, that’s another way to see students and get to know them outside the classroom.”

(Top) Wentzel has an annual toga party with students, (middle) takes them on a study abroad to the Pantheon in Greece and (bottom) plays violin with the Augustana Orchestra.

Sign Language Interpreting Major

• Become an interpreter who communicates with American Sign Language (ASL) and uplifts Deaf culture

• Join the only university-level ASL program in the region, supported by professors from the Deaf community

• Engage in hands-on learning at interpreting events

Student Combines Majors to Better Advocate for Deaf Community

An annual Deaf Awareness Carnival hosted by the Augustana University Deaf Awareness Club in the Elmen Center gym is when Hannah Allen ‘25 knew she was in the right place, studying the right majors. Although she’d only recently begun formally studying American Sign Language (ASL), by the end of the night, she felt confident and comfortable communicating with the deaf and hard of hearing guests.

“Going to those events and interacting with people from the Deaf community — using sign — was a great way to start learning and putting those skills that we’ve been taught into practice,” Allen said.

The sign language interpreting and communication disorders double major came to Augustana because it’s the only university in the region that offers

both programs. Beyond that, Allen loved the community feel.

“I realized the two programs would be really complementary to each other, especially if I want to go into audiology because being able to understand and communicate with my patients would be very helpful as an audiologist — and to understand Deaf culture,” Allen said.

Signing-only events, like the carnival, are required hands-on learning opportunities for all ASL courses. Allen said immersion helps mastery of the language set in earlier, which is why ASL courses at Augustana are immersion-based from day one, as class time means voices off. This department-wide teaching strategy means students learn a fast-paced, conversational level of the language right away.

“That immersion is really helpful for learning a language, especially such a visual language, because if you can’t communicate in your preferred native language, you learn how to pick up the second language really fast,” Allen said. “I really liked how fast we got into everything.”

Audiology, as well as speech pathology, are the two professional tracks for the communication disorders major, which prepares students for graduate-level study in either discipline. Allen said some lessons from her Deaf Culture course will help her better advocate for her patients.

“It made me realize a lot of things about assistive hearing devices, like cochlear implants or hearing aids,” Allen said, “... how the Deaf community views it versus how hearing doctors may view it.”

Openness and support from her academic advisor to help her graduate on time makes Allen’s double major more feasible.

“My professors — both my primary and secondary advisors — have been so helpful in making sure that I can fit things in so that I can do this,” Allen said.

Allen’s introductory communication disorders course gave her a base-level knowledge of the science behind speech so this fall she’ll better be able to be hands-on with performing assessments and using the tools of an audiologist.

Allen’s favorite part of Augustana is the opportunity to be involved in student life as a dancer on the Augustana Spirit Squad, as well as through the Deaf Awareness Club and National Student Speech Language and Hearing Association (NSSLHA).

She enjoys finding harmony between achieving her goals through academics while being a student-athlete on the sidelines of Viking Athletics’ games.

“Being able to find that balance between all of those different areas of my life has been great,” Allen said. “I love the independence of it. It’s been great at Augie.”

Communication Disorders Major

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Become a speech-language pathologist or audiologist

Benefit from high-impact experiences in the form of clinicals that preview the day-to-day of this career

Explore internships at local schools and clinics, as well as volunteer-based clubs

From AU Roommates to D.C. Alumni

Julia Megazzini ‘20 and Audrey Cope ‘21 connected online during the summer before their first year at Augustana University. With matching majors and similar personalities, they decided to become roommates. Their first time meeting at AU’s New Student Orientation led to a 4-hour dinner and Sioux Falls bike trail stroll that solidified their friendship.

When Welcome Week rolled around, they moved into Bergsaker Hall, where their cozy gray rug and loveseat became the site of late-night chats, movie nights and a place to register to vote.

“The relationships that you’re able to build and the community at Augustana leads to success,” Cope said.

The following year, they moved from Bergsaker to what they referred to as the “penthouse” — the top floor of Granskou Hall — then to “Little House on the Prairie,” a small blue house on Prairie Avenue with five other roommates for their last two years at Augustana.

Megazzini, a track & field and cross country student-athlete, and Cope were excelling in their classes, campus organizations and student government. Both participated in the Committee of Undergraduate Political Scientists (COUPS), and Cope led in the

Augustana Student Association (ASA), for which she was elected to be vice president her junior year. They participated in a variety of campus ministry activities and were accepted into the Civitas Honors Program.

“I loved Welcome Week and being a Viking Guide with my entire heart and soul,” Cope said.

The pair also embraced Augustana’s many opportunities to study away.

“It was incredible!” Megazzini said. “I studied abroad in January 2018 in London my first year, and then I was lucky enough to go a second time.”

The pair spent January Interim (J-term) 2019 in India together learning about art and culture. The faculty-led trip brought students to the Ganges River, as well as the Taj Mahal. Later that year, they lived in Washington, D.C., together as South Dakota congressional summer interns.

Both proud alumni said they feel well set up by AU to succeed in any career.

“I think Augie does a really good job of giving its students a chance to lead,” Cope said.

Megazzini and Cope said they grew from close relationships with professors and the AU community, along with the liberal arts focus.

“Having the well-roundedness of all the different areas of study prepares us well for the day-to-day tasks,” Megazzini said. “You don’t necessarily know what every day is going to look like — but you’re able to be flexible and adaptable and just willing to take initiative and run with different opportunities as they come your way.”

Now, the inseparable duo lives in a one-bedroom apartment in the nation’s capital. The East Coast city not only houses dream jobs for Augustana alumni, but has a “small town feel” despite its size, according to Megazzini.

After graduation, Megazzini’s congressional internship turned into a full-time job as a staff assistant who answered constituent calls and led tours of the capitol building, and later she became a legislative correspondent for the same office, where she wrote responses about legislative issues.

“I loved that job,” Megazzini said. “It was very hard to leave. However, my heart and soul was ultimately in the intelligence community.”

Megazzini found a position through the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Collegiate Hiring Initiative as an operational support technician and hopes to become an intelligence analyst in the future.

After Cope graduated, she completed a virtual summer internship through the Truman Foundation with Pathways to Housing, an organization working against chronic homelessness. She then moved to D.C. to join her roommate and take the Madeleine Albright Fellowship. She joined the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) and now works as a special assistant to the organization’s president. The nonprofit research firm with a lobbying sector allows Cope to work in fundraising, communications and policy research.

“It’s a really diverse skill set that’s coming out of this position, and I think it is going to set me up to do whatever comes next,” Cope said.