Home: Dallas, Texas
UT Dallas Degree: BA – Political Science with a Minor in Latin American Politics, 2005
Profession: Community Manager at Evernote, a company that builds apps and products that define “the way individuals and teams work today”.
Yes. At the time, it definitely affected my decision to go to UT Dallas over other colleges. The scholarship opportunity was the most comprehensive and made my decision very easy. College isn’t cheap, it isn’t getting any cheaper, and the scholarships at UT Dallas helped me leave with little to no debt, freeing up my post-collegiate options.
I manage a cross-functional team that handles Evernote’s community engagement and the programs and channels that support it – including forums and social media.
I’ve managed community relations and corporate social responsibility initiatives for a Fortune financial company. This included employee volunteer initiatives and a company foundation responsible for grant making. I’ve also worked political campaigns, in software development and cable running gigs.
The diverse nature of political science (economics, statistics, theory, philosophy) gave me a very well-rounded education, and the critical thinking and writing skills I developed helped me hit the ground running early in my career. Communication is everything, and being able to unpack complex problems and communicate them effectively has helped me carve out new roles and projects during my career.
My time at UT Dallas was one of, if not the most transformative period of my life. Being very involved in campus life and organizations helped me discover new perspectives and ideas and gave me a ton of new experiences.
My advisor helped my academic success immensely. He knew my plan, helped talk me through changes and strategies to my plan, and helped keep my academic choices focused.
Apply to the Archer Fellowship program at some point, probably junior or senior year to make the most of it. The Archer Fellowship program will give you an amazing experience working an internship with other UT system students in Washington, D.C. The alumni network is active and has strong contingents in D.C., Dallas, Austin and New York.
Become deputized as a voter registrar and/or become involved in a local political campaign. Even if that’s not your end goal for earning your degree, it’s still a great experience and a good way to get involved in your community.
Finally, volunteering is the best way to network. Find your passion and begin to volunteer for organizations that meet that passion head on. You will meet all kinds of people who share your vision and can help you with your goals.