American University, Washington, D.C.
Master of Arts in Political Communication | Expected May 2026
Bachelor of Arts in Journalism | May 2025
Bachelor of Arts in Political Science | May 2025
I love American University so much that I got three degrees there.
Accepted into the Honors Program, I was able to graduate with Cum Laude in both my Political Science and Journalism degrees. I graduated in May 2025 and was able to do so in just six semesters.
With a love of my Political Science and Journalism undergrad degrees, as well as an admiration of the School of Public Affairs and School of Communication, I applied to the combined Bachelor’s and Master’s program for an MA in Political Communication, an interdisciplinary degree offered jointly between both schools.
In May 2026, I will graduate and earn my Master’s, having completed my MA and my two Bachelor’s in a total of four years.
Go Eagles!
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A privilege of attending American University was that my professors were experienced experts and working professionals in the specific field of their courses. Some of the classes that best prepared me for my career were:
Campaign Management Institute
I completed the Campaign Management Institute (CMI) as part of my Political Communication degree. This course was a deep dive into learning how to run local, state, and federal political campaigns. By running an in-depth mock campaign for the 2025 Virginia gubernatorial election, I was able to learn about every stage of political campaigns from experts in their fields.
My team's final deliverable for our two-week summer course was a 100+ page Winsome Earle-Sears campaign plan that we presented to a panel of CMI faculty and campaign professionals.
Learning from Republican and Democratic politicians, chiefs of staff, media consultants, voice actors, and so many more strategists taught me lessons that I will carry for the rest of my life.
The course itself was taught by the Chief of Staff for Governor JB Pritzker, Anne Caprara, campaign manager and political strategist Quentin Fulks, former Calvert County Chamber of Commerce President and CEO, Bob Carpenter, as well as the CMI Academic Director, Candice Nelson.
Research For Strategic Communication
Continuing my quest to learn more about DMW campaigns, I conducted an exit poll analysis titled “From Dead Heat to Blue Wave: How Richmond Defined the 2025 Virginia Gubernatorial Election” that utilized data visualization, quantitative and qualitative research, as well as insight from polling experts.
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I also worked with a small team to run a real survey from start to finish on “Increasing the Student Vote: How Campus Resources Can Increase the AU Student Body’s Civic Engagement.” We designed and tested our survey, distributed it across campus, and presented our findings to Jeff Horwitt, a partner at Hart Research, and our professor
Digital
Skills
One of the most enjoyable classes I took at American University was Digital Skills with the digital director of the Humane Rescue Alliance, Dani Rizzo. With each assignment, I gained technical skills in videography, podcasting, web design, photography, and many other digital skills.
In this class, most of my assignments centered on the experiences of queer people raised in various religions. I created a podcast with a lesbian Muslim and a gay Mormon on how their identity has impacted their faith. I produced a video with college students of varying religions on how their relationship with prayer has changed being away from a religious household for the first time, and I even conducted the interviews at the Washington National Cathedral Bishop's Garden. I also created a photography collection of the incredibly diverse and beautiful places of worship across Washington, D.C.