Maria Isabel T. Paraan

(571)-643-2915

Emails is maisparaan@gmail.com

EDUCATION

American University, Washington DC

  • MA in Public Anthropology; current GPA: 3.44
  • Expected graduation May 2020

Longwood University, Farmville, Virginia

  • BS, Anthropology and Psychology, overall GPA: 3.33
  • Graduated May 2016
  • Research highlights: mental health protocols, sexual consent
  • Societies
    • Lambda Alpha – Anthropology Honors Society; Spring 2016
    • Psi Chi – Psychology Honors Society; Fall 2015

WORK EXPERIENCE

Customer Service Representative, Georgetown Cupcake, Sterling, Virginia

April 2018 – February 2019

  • Manage daily communications with customers by telephone and email. Duties include taking customer orders, charging or refunding customers, interacting with corporate contacts to send out gifts to their clients, and providing exceptional customer service.
  • Resolve customer issues in a professional and courteous manner.

 

Team Leader, Teavana, Dulles, Virginia

October 2016 – February 2018

  • Ensure that the store functions are running smoothly during a given shift and constantly providing ways to improve communication skills to better help customers and drive sales.
  • Worked directly with the Store Manager and District Manager to further improve the store and company. This included participating in company calls strategizing on how to optimize the current sales situation.
  • Aided in team development, training and encouraging growth in the team.

 

Team Member, Teavana, Dulles, Virginia

June 2015 – October 2016

  • Aided the customer in their transition into tea by teaching them the proper ways to brew tea and how tea is beneficial.
  • Provided exceptional customer service to all customers by making them feel welcome.
  • Participated in a sales environment that encourages exceptional interpersonal commutations skills with both customers and coworkers.

Additional employment includes positions in academia (as a TA), recreational services, sales, and food service since Fall 2010.

 

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Mental health in the United States

  • Specific areas of interest;
    • Mental health in secondary school students
    • Stigma and how it is related to American culture

Mental health in other cultures

First generation American citizens

Social movements

Ethnomusicology

 

GRADUATE RESEARCH

Historical African River Road Project

  • Collecting of histories from three historical black communities in Montgomery County, Maryland – Macedonia Baptist Church, Tobytown, Scotland
  • Working in the American University archives for the Historical African River Road Connections Collections

 

Music Study at Scotland AME Zion Church

  • A study on the meaning of music to the community members on an individual and group level
    • Ethnomusicology

 

CONFERENCES

Public Anthropology Conference, American University, Washington D.C.

  • Panelist in “What is Public Anthropology”

 

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH

Representation in Introduction to Psychology textbooks: Fall Semester 2015 to Spring Semester 2016

  • Participated in group research regarding representation.
  • Coded a multitude of textbooks and cross-coded textbooks with other students.
  • Discussed findings and any discrepancies with coding.

 

Sexual Consent: Fall Semester 2015

  • Developed a research question with a partner that would be researched throughout the semester.
  • Researched implications of sexual consent on college campuses in regards to gender and blame.
  • Ran studies to see how participants view sexual consent depending on what kind of campaign poster they viewed.
  • Presented in front of a panel of psychology professors and participated in a poster session open to the public.

 

Cultural Study on a Mircoculture on Campus: Fall Semester 2015

  • Wrote an ethnography on a microculture [Pride Club] that was based in Longwood’s campus.
  • Discussed and analyzed findings with other classmates.

 

Field School in Clover, Virginia: Summer 2015

  • Directly applied archaeological methods to address research questions based on the Randy K. Wade site.
  • Presented organic findings, with a group, on the unit dug up during Summer 2015 on the Wade Site.

 

Usability Study: Fall 2014 to Spring 2015

  • Continued a usability study that was started in the fall semester of 2014 with two other students.
  • Participated in a poster session open to the public.

 

Mental Health Protocols in College Handbooks: Summer 2014

  • Searched for college handbooks across the countries
  • Began coding and discussed any discrepancies we could find to streamline coding process.

 

SKILLS

Proficient in: Microsoft Powerpoint and Word; IBM SPSS; Point of Sales (POS) systems

5+ years customer service

6+ years oral and written communication

Problem Solving

Critical Thinking

Self-Motivated

Leadership