Laura Vega, Global Learning Medallion student & 2021 DEI Global Learning Student Fellow
Vega is a political science major pursuing a certificate in Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Certificate in National Security, and Certificate in Human Rights and Political Transitions.
Like so many other great opportunities, I learned about the Transformation Contest from the Office of Global Learning email updates. The application prompt asked for a personal challenge that shaped my intercultural experience, and I knew exactly what I wanted to do: a video project on my immigration journey. The inspiration for this project came from my time as Dr. Marcie Washington’s student, where I learned about the global challenges migration creates and how they impacted my own story.
This project gave me an outlet to reflect on my transformation and accepting the Fly-In award was an eye-opening experience itself.
On day one, I learned about STEMconnector, a corporation working to advance STEM education. Before this session, I knew the importance of getting more women into STEM education, but I did not realize the magnitude of gaps in this career field. Personally, I have focused on becoming an intelligence analyst, but this talk made me realize that a career transition to STEM as a data scientist is possible. While this might not be the path I choose in the end, it was essential for me to learn about pivoting to a new industry. In university, there is constant pressure to know the specific career you will follow once your education is completed. This experience taught me that changing and continuing to learn is possible even during the mid-career stage.
On the second day, I met Gonzalo Suarez, the deputy assistant in the Bureau of Nonproliferation at the State Department, whose research team created invaluable sources for my research on China’s human rights violations against Muslim minority Uyghurs. It was fascinating to hear him talk about the production of the entity list, which showcases blacklisted Chinese companies with presumed connections to Uyghurs’ forced labor. Besides discussing his relevant work, Suarez offered a refreshing outlook into pursuing a career in the State Department.
He emphasized practicality by encouraging us to search for different ways to get the job we want besides the more traditional route of seeking internships.
On day three, I met Belen Sassone, the press secretary for Congressman Darren Soto. By listening to her story, I am hopeful and more prepared to experience the policy-focused nature of Washington, D.C. while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
Networking with determined students, federal government agencies and corporations left me with valuable connections that offer me invaluable support.
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