[{"id":116,"date":"2021-04-30T04:14:58","date_gmt":"2021-04-30T04:14:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/?page_id=116"},"modified":"2021-04-30T04:14:58","modified_gmt":"2021-04-30T04:14:58","slug":"exit-documents","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/exit-documents\/","title":{"rendered":"Exit Documents"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Compilation of Leadership Experiences<br \/>\nType of Experience: Course<br \/>\nName of Experience: SPA-460-001: Political &amp; Organizational Leadership<br \/>\nDate or Time Frame: January 2021 &#8211; May 2021<br \/>\nDescription:<br \/>\n\u25cf Completed SPA Leadership program by reflecting on skills learned and producing a final<br \/>\npolicy memo<br \/>\nType of Experience: Internship Course<br \/>\nName of Experience: SPA-391: Leadership: Chesapeake Climate Action Network<br \/>\nDate or Time Frame: August 2020 &#8211; December 2020<br \/>\nDescription:<br \/>\n\u25cf Recruited 9 student organizations to mobilize against fossil fuel infrastructure on<br \/>\nMaryland\u2019s Eastern Shore<br \/>\n\u25cf Testified to Lt. Governor and Comptroller at Maryland Board of Public Works hearing on<br \/>\npipeline projects<br \/>\n\u25cf Researched 40+ Maryland lawmakers and drafted volunteer action petitions against fossil<br \/>\nfuels<br \/>\nType of Experience: Volunteer<br \/>\nName of Experience: Mondaire Jones for Congress<br \/>\nDate or Time Frame: March 2020 &#8211; August 2020<br \/>\nDescription:<br \/>\n\u25cf Led social media campaign where 20+ volunteers shared personal stories of support for<br \/>\nthe candidate<br \/>\n\u25cf Coordinated release timing, leading to thousands of views on Twitter and Facebook<br \/>\n\u25cf Hosted virtual phone banks for 50+ volunteers, resulting in tens of thousands of calls to<br \/>\nvoters. Confirmed attendees and trained first-time phone bankers on ThruTalk (dialer<br \/>\nsystem) and the policy platform<br \/>\n\u25cf Led 1:1 relational organizing sessions with volunteers and shared strategies for having<br \/>\npersuasive conversations with their personal networks. Led trainings on the relational<br \/>\norganizing app Reach to assist in their outreach<br \/>\n\u25cf Engaged in 15-20 hours per week of direct voter contact and helped voters make a plan to<br \/>\nvote<br \/>\nType of Experience: Teaching Assistant<br \/>\nName of Experience: SPA Leadership Program: First-Year TA<br \/>\nDate or Time Frame: August 2019 &#8211; May 2020<br \/>\nDescription:<br \/>\n\u25cf Supervised cohort of 6 freshmen in developing a group social action project on<br \/>\nimmigrant &amp; refugee rights<br \/>\n\u25cf Mentored students on research and writing skills and advised on methods for community<br \/>\nengagement<br \/>\n\u25cf Organized retreats, social events, and study sessions for first-year class while maintaining<br \/>\na professional rapportType of Experience: Course<br \/>\nName of Experience: SPA-362: Leadership Development Lab II<br \/>\nDate or Time Frame: August 2019 &#8211; May 2020<br \/>\nDescription:<br \/>\n\u25cf Expanded knowledge of practical leadership skills by participating in interactive<br \/>\nclassroom workshops and engaging with other students<br \/>\n\u25cf Served as a teaching assistant to Immigration &amp; Refugee Rights cohort<br \/>\n\u25cf Outlined social action project to share health care resources with DC immigrant<br \/>\npopulation<br \/>\nType of Experience: Course<br \/>\nName of Experience: SPA-361: Leadership Development Lab I<br \/>\nDate or Time Frame: August 2018 &#8211; May 2019<br \/>\nDescription:<br \/>\n\u25cf Researched the root causes of immigration to the United States from Central America and<br \/>\ncrafted policy memos on subsequent findings<br \/>\n\u25cf Created a social action project to address the lack of college resources for ESL,<br \/>\nfirst-generation college students<br \/>\n\u25cf Presented a college workshop to parents of ESL students at a local Catholic church in<br \/>\nGlenmont, MD<br \/>\nType of Experience: Volunteer<br \/>\nName of Experience: Appalachia Service Project<br \/>\nDate or Time Frame: July 2016 &#8211; July 2019<br \/>\nDescription:<br \/>\n\u25cf Forged relationships with homeowners and gained insight into the cycle of poverty while<br \/>\nrepairing houses<br \/>\n\u25cf Mentored younger volunteers and spread awareness by speaking at local dinners and<br \/>\nmasses<br \/>\n\u25cf Fundraised by organizing annual pancake breakfast and direct mail campaign to donorsReflective Essays<br \/>\n1. A brief summary of the program\u2026<br \/>\nMy SPA Leadership Program journey began as a freshman. I participated in the first-year<br \/>\nprogram, working with the Immigration &amp; Refugee Rights group to cultivate research skills and<br \/>\nimplement a social action project. Our final product provided college prep resources to ESL<br \/>\nstudents in Glenmont, MD and informed parents about the college process. I knew that this was<br \/>\nan area I was passionate about so I pursued a personal social action project during my sophomore<br \/>\nyear to provide immigrants in DC with a comprehensive list of available healthcare resources.<br \/>\nUnfortunately, COVID-19 and personal illness prohibited final implementation.<br \/>\nDespite the on-going global pandemic, my third year in leadership as a junior has allowed<br \/>\nme to intern with the Chesapeake Climate Action Network and take the final seminar to reflect<br \/>\non my leadership experience. This program has provided me with the opportunity to serve as a<br \/>\nfirst-year TA, meet an amazing community of dedicated students, and learn from professors<br \/>\ndedicated to the field of leadership. I have loved watching myself grow into a young<br \/>\nprofessional, supported and cheered on by the leadership community.<br \/>\n2. A reflection on how the program increased your knowledge of leadership\u2026<br \/>\nMy knowledge of leadership has grown exponentially through this program. Each<br \/>\nsemester has been a different experience, from lecture style to interactive workshops. I have<br \/>\nenjoyed learning the theories of leadership and the implementation of these styles, especially<br \/>\nthrough the examples of James Baldwin, John F. Kennedy, and other historical figures. Before<br \/>\nthe leadership program, I never looked for specific rhetorical strategies or organizational<br \/>\nstructures within the people I admire. Now, I tend to analyze how they lead and the issue framing<br \/>\nstyle they use.Conventional views of leadership can be very single-minded, focused on the male<br \/>\nauthority figure. The leadership program has absolutely blown open this stereotype. The<br \/>\ndiversity within the program, from students to faculty to guest speakers speaks volumes to what<br \/>\nleadership can look like. It gives me hope for the future generation and motivates me to lead with<br \/>\ngrace, kindness, and loyalty.<br \/>\n3. A reflection on how the program changed your view of leadership\u2026<br \/>\nBefore I became a student in the SPA Leadership Program, I thought that leadership was<br \/>\nstanding at the front of a room and ordering people around. I have come to learn that leadership<br \/>\nis so much more than that. Most of all, I have enjoyed learning about transformational and<br \/>\nadaptive leadership, working to implement these skills at a first-year TA and during my<br \/>\ninternships. I understand that I am a \u201clion\u201d &#8211; passionate, loud, and authoritative. However, I<br \/>\nrecognize the importance of learning from others and from history.<br \/>\nEspecially in my final semester, I see that leadership through the years has evolved into<br \/>\nthe collaborative experience we picture today. I know that to become a leader in the field of<br \/>\npolitics and campaigns, I must harness my new-found ability to understand others as leaders too,<br \/>\nand work together towards a common goal. Being at the forefront of a project does not always<br \/>\nmake you a good leader, especially if you block out others.<br \/>\n4. One key thing you took away from the program\u2026<br \/>\nIt is probably outlined in my previous responses but my biggest take away from the SPA<br \/>\nLeadership Program is just how diverse leadership can be. From \u201cowls\u201d to \u201clions\u201d, collaborative<br \/>\nto authoritarian, leadership does not look like one textbook thing. Leadership is a learned skill<br \/>\nthat can be improved and developed overtime. While some people may \u201cnaturally\u201d haveleadership-type skills, their form of leadership could be completely different from other<br \/>\nindividuals. It is important to hone your own set of skills to be an authentic, transformational<br \/>\nleader.Essay on Leadership Growth<br \/>\nStarting university is an overwhelming experience. I was nervous to attend the Welcome<br \/>\nWeek events hosted by the SPA Leadership Program at American University. I felt like I already<br \/>\nknew what leadership was and that the students in the program would be too intimidating. These<br \/>\nmisconceptions were purely that: fictional. My experience as a Leadership Program student has<br \/>\nrevolutionized the way I view leadership on a personal and professional level, while also<br \/>\nproviding me with a cohort of like minded, ambitious students.<br \/>\nLeadership is a skill, something that must be learned and nurtured. My first-year social<br \/>\naction project forced me to collaborate and form qualities I didn\u2019t know existed, especially my<br \/>\nresearch skills. Through writing policy memos, literature reviews, and various project<br \/>\ncomponents, I was able to learn the ins and outs of effective public policy leadership. All of this<br \/>\ntook humbling myself and learning from others, a key aspect of my leadership journey. I saw my<br \/>\npersonal awareness grow as I interacted with the undoccumented community in D.C. and learned<br \/>\nfrom the experiences of my peers. I learned what it meant to be a transformational leader &#8211; a<br \/>\nperson that works collaboratively to identify areas of change and works to encourage<br \/>\nparticipation. This first-year path would push me to apply to competitive internships, go out of<br \/>\nmy comfort zone, and form unlikely connections.<br \/>\nThe practical and theoretical side of leadership has grown to fascinate me. I have learned<br \/>\nabout issue framing, agenda setting, and agenda control, which has helped me navigate my<br \/>\npublic policy internships and better synthesize historical events. The tenants of adaptive<br \/>\nleadership and transformational leadership and their use (or lack of) by everyday politicians is<br \/>\nsomething that I now look for. In my personal life, I have worked to adapt these skills in how I<br \/>\ninteract with friends and family, making sure to never come across as the \u201cGreat Man\u201d leader.Leadership presents itself in every situation, whether it be in presidential decision making or<br \/>\nnavigating a group project. My leadership growth has centered around learning more about my<br \/>\nown leadership skills, relating them to historical and political examples, and then working to<br \/>\nimprove them through coursework, internships, and personal connections.<br \/>\nIt is inevitable that many people today still view leadership as a position, not a process.<br \/>\nHowever, that is something I try to change in my everyday interactions. I have learned to accept<br \/>\ncriticism through the experience of building a social action project and working through<br \/>\nleadership exercises my sophomore year. I recognize the vitality of collaboration to implement<br \/>\nreal, long-lasting change, as seen through the way I always encouraged growth in my students as<br \/>\na Teaching Assistant. In the true nature of transformational leadership, I also looked to my<br \/>\nstudents to teach and inform me. I truly believe there is no situation where growth and<br \/>\nknowledge building is impossible<br \/>\nThe SPA Leadership Program, as well as leadership itself, means so much to me. It was<br \/>\nthrough this community that I transformed my view of leadership into a growth mindset, one that<br \/>\nrejects the patriarchal, archaic views of the past. I have found my voice within the Leadership<br \/>\nProgram, serving as a teaching assistant to first-years as a way to give back. I have also grown in<br \/>\nknowledge of myself, learning to trust my leadership skills and to always look to others to<br \/>\nimprove. I am thankful for what this program has given to me and I will always remember the<br \/>\nprofound impact it had on my leadership, personal, and professional growth<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Compilation of Leadership Experiences Type of Experience: Course Name of Experience: SPA-460-001: Political &amp; Organizational Leadership Date or Time Frame: January 2021 &#8211; May 2021 Description: \u25cf Completed SPA Leadership program by reflecting on skills learned and producing a final policy memo Type of Experience: Internship Course Name of Experience: SPA-391: Leadership: Chesapeake Climate Action [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2663,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-116","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/116","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2663"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=116"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/116\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=116"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":107,"date":"2020-10-19T15:38:01","date_gmt":"2020-10-19T15:38:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/?page_id=107"},"modified":"2020-10-19T15:53:10","modified_gmt":"2020-10-19T15:53:10","slug":"internship-class","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/internship-class\/","title":{"rendered":"Internship Reflection"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">I am interning with Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) as the Maryland Grassroots Organizing Intern. CCAN is a non-governmental organization that fights for climate justice in the DC, Virginia, and Maryland area. They believe that we need to build a diverse grassroots coalition to lead the way against climate change and to build a green, sustainable future.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">I am working with my supervisor on the No New Fossil Fuels Campaign (NNFF). NNFF is working to fight proposed fracked gas pipelines in Maryland and put a moratorium on fossil fuel use. As an intern, I research possible partners on Maryland\u2019s Eastern Shore, manage volunteers, and attend various hearings. My daily duties include research, phone banking, coordinating volunteers, and various tasks to help my supervisor with their daily outreach goals. I enjoy the fast-paced environment and that no day ever looks the same, my goals are ever-evolving as the direction of our campaign changes. I also really enjoy connecting with the community I live in. I believe that to be an effective organizer, you must work where you live. I have learned so much about environmental injustice here in Maryland and will work to fight it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I am interning with Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) as the Maryland Grassroots Organizing Intern. CCAN is a non-governmental organization that fights for climate justice in the DC, Virginia, and Maryland area. They believe that we need to build a diverse grassroots coalition to lead the way against climate change and to build a green, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2663,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-107","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/107","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2663"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=107"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/107\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=107"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":93,"date":"2019-09-18T14:03:29","date_gmt":"2019-09-18T14:03:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/?page_id=93"},"modified":"2020-01-20T21:03:09","modified_gmt":"2020-01-20T21:03:09","slug":"lets-connect","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/lets-connect\/","title":{"rendered":"Let&#8217;s Connect"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[gravityform id=&#8221;2&#8243; title=&#8221;true&#8221; description=&#8221;true&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[gravityform id=&#8221;2&#8243; title=&#8221;true&#8221; description=&#8221;true&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2663,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-93","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/93","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2663"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=93"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/93\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=93"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":54,"date":"2019-09-17T14:30:16","date_gmt":"2019-09-17T14:30:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/?page_id=54"},"modified":"2020-07-14T16:26:41","modified_gmt":"2020-07-14T16:26:41","slug":"volunteer","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/volunteer\/","title":{"rendered":"Volunteering"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Appalachia Service Project is a non-profit that works to make homes in central Appalachia warmer, safer, and drier. For four summers, I have spent a week volunteering in West Virginia, helping families to feel more secure in their homes. I love the opportunities ASP provides to undertake creative construction projects while also connecting with the families we serve, making new friends you never expected to make. The hardest part of ASP is coming back home.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\t\t<style>\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 33%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-54 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/volunteer\/img-4208\/'><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1272\/2019\/09\/IMG-4208-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-86\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-86'>\n\t\t\t\tASP 2019\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/volunteer\/img-4368\/'><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1272\/2020\/01\/IMG-4368-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-101\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-101'>\n\t\t\t\tASP 2019\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/volunteer\/img-1169\/'><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1272\/2019\/09\/IMG-1169-e1568780351522-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-80\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-80'>\n\t\t\t\tASP 2018\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/volunteer\/img-4742\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1272\/2019\/09\/IMG-4742-e1568780394568-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-81\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-81'>\n\t\t\t\tASP 2018\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/volunteer\/img-4784\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1272\/2019\/09\/IMG-4784-e1568780367850-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-83\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-83'>\n\t\t\t\tASP 2018\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/volunteer\/img-4776\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1272\/2019\/09\/IMG-4776-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-88\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-88'>\n\t\t\t\tASP 2017\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/volunteer\/img-2863\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1272\/2019\/09\/IMG-2863-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-89\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-89'>\n\t\t\t\tASP 2017\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/volunteer\/img-7494\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1272\/2020\/01\/IMG-7494-e1579553770614-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-103\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-103'>\n\t\t\t\tASP 2016\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/volunteer\/img-7493\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1272\/2020\/01\/IMG-7493-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-102\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-102'>\n\t\t\t\tASP 2016\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Appalachia Service Project is a non-profit that works to make homes in central Appalachia warmer, safer, and drier. For four summers, I have spent a week volunteering in West Virginia, helping families to feel more secure in their homes. I love the opportunities ASP provides to undertake creative construction projects while also connecting with the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2663,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-54","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/54","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2663"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/54\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":19,"date":"2018-06-26T16:04:45","date_gmt":"2018-06-26T16:04:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/spatemplate\/?page_id=19"},"modified":"2020-01-26T20:17:34","modified_gmt":"2020-01-26T20:17:34","slug":"work-sample","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/work-sample\/","title":{"rendered":"Work Sample"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>South Sudan Conflict Analysis<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011 after decades of violent conflict. Praised as the world&#8217;s \u201cnewest democracy,\u201d the country soon plummeted into its own civil war. President Salva Kiir, renowned for his rampant corruption, feared that his vice president, Reik Machar, was plotting to overthrow him. President Kiir wanted to keep full control of the government in order to reward his followers with oil revenue and keep these profits out of the public sphere (BBC). These two leaders belong to the Dinka and Nuer ethnic groups, respectively. During the fight for independence, local militias, usually ethnically based, joined together to form the Sudan People\u2019s Liberation Army (SPLA), with the Sudan People\u2019s Liberation Movement (SPLM) acting as the political wing. However, the SPLM became South Sudan\u2019s national army after the end of the conflict and the inability to fully institutionalize the army reopened ethnic grievances (Kuol). In December 2013, President Kiir ordered Dinka members of his presidential guard to disarm Nuer members in anticipation of a potential coup. The resulting violence spread across the country, with local rebel militias seizing land and slaughtering thousands of civilians. As the political rivalry between Kiir and Machar heightened, Kiir made the executive decision to expel Machar from office in July 2013. Machar\u2019s subsequent exile compounded tensions within the political elite as loyalties began to splinter along pre-independence ethnic lines (BBC). Although a ceasefire has been in effect since 2017, skirmishes between government and rebel forces are not uncommon and multiple peace deals have been ignored. Most recently, Reik Machar and the SPLM-IO (in-opposition) have called for a 100 day extension on implementing a power-sharing government that was initially agreed upon in 2018.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The historical context of South Sudan relates to the root causes of its civil war. Since South Sudan became its own state in 2011, there is little collective history to analyze. This unique status explains the lack of strong democratic institutions that could prevent conflict, such as frequent elections and a robust civil society, as South Sudan is still in the process of democratization. Cederman\u2019s research on democratization concludes that the initiation of these periods correlates with the outbreak of conflict because of regime instability. This could not be more evident than in South Sudan, with civil war breaking out just 2.5 years after independence and the start of democratic implementation. Additionally, historical tendencies to mobilize along ethnic lines and the inability of the state to address ethnic grievances helps explain the civil war. Before the war with Sudan, southern Sudan was composed of tribes that clung to local identities in order to mount opposition to the abuses of the northern regions. The lack of a unified southern identity persisted within the SPLM through the independence war although local militias did unite for most of the conflict.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">President Kiir\u2019s placation of the Dinka elite, although truly for economic rather than ethnic reasons, heightened the ethnically divided nature of political infighting until the outbreak of actual violence. The continued escalation of violence between ethnic groups after the start of the conflict is best understood through\u00a0 Chaim Kaufmann\u2019s theory on the mediating civil wars. Kaufmann argues that \u201c&#8230;hypernationalist mobilization rhetoric and real atrocities harden ethnic identities to the point that cross-ethnic political appeals are unlikely to be made\u201d(137). Attacks by government forces on Nuer populations, especially in the northeastern states of South Sudan, increased rebel opposition to President Kiir and the intractability of civil war. These targeted attacks, coupled with President Kiir\u2019s rhetoric on the SPLM-IO, have polarized ethnic groups in South Sudan. However, to categorize this conflict as purely ethnic would simplify the deeper issue the South Sudanese government wants the world to ignore.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The true root of conflict and impetus for continued violence in South Sudan is the corruption among South Sudanese elites and the reliance of the government on foreign aid. Oil production accounts for more than 95% of\u00a0 South Sudan\u2019s domestic revenue and oil companies such as Nilepet are under complete state control. This means that instead of investing profits in democratization and state institutions, elites have the ability to funnel funds straight into their own pockets. Also, the abuse by President Kiir and his inner circle of foreign aid following 2011 independence compiled grievances in local communities that do not reap these benefits, such as the Nuer populations. The unequal sharing of resources and political representation mobilized ethnic groups to consolidate power out of fear of political domination, demonstrated through a concentrated Dinka presence across government offices. The outbreak of civil war in South Sudan is explained by a multitude of factors, with the exploitation of ethnic ties being just a small part of a much bigger abuse of power. If the distribution of wealth in South Sudan was more equitable and elites were held accountable for their greediness, it is possible that conflict could have been avoided as governmental mismanagement lies at the center of this civil war.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The human costs of the South Sudanese Civil War are immense, with an estimated 400,00 people dead and millions more displaced. The SPLM, the former South Sudanese independence army, came under the control of President Kiir once he came to office. The White Army, a Nuer splinter group of the SPLM from South Sudan\u2019s independence war, is allied with the SPLM-IO against Kiir\u2019s forces. Following historical trends, there is also local mobilization among smaller regional groups that often rely on child soldiers and smuggled arms from Sudan. The SPLM has the support of surrounding external players, including Uganda, Kenya, and Ethiopia. President Museveni of Uganda has pledged military, economic, and political support to President Kiir throughout the conflict and his country has been integral in holding peace talks. Another significant mediator is the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), which has been involved in South Sudan since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended the independence war (Kuol). Throughout the civil war, multiple peace deals and ceasefires have been signed in 2014, 2016, and 2018 only to be broken by gunfire. Early cooperation between President Kiir and Machar could have de-escalated violence but both political actors refused to listen to external and internal parties to form a compromise.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The peaceful resolution of the South Sudanese civil war is a difficult objective to achieve. According to Zartman, protraction of conflict does not depend on the duration but rather on \u201c&#8230;the duration\u2019s effect\u201d (49). As President Kiir has benefited from the centralization of power and control of the security forces as a result of civil war, the reignition of conflict has advantages for South Sudan. The conflict is seen as intractable even though its continuation is a deliberate effort by leaders on both sides to profit from war. Neither side has truly committed to actual mediation that requires legitimate concessions. The latest proposed solution to the South Sudanese war, the implementation of a power-sharing government agreed upon in 2018, offers the most realistic end to conflict. As told by Nilsson, \u201c&#8230;when parties engage in costly concessions, such as implementing military and territorial pacts, \u2026 peace is more likely to last\u201d (218).\u00a0 The South Sudanese government and opposing rebel forces must commit to addressing grievances and agreeing on a power-sharing deal that requires high-cost military and territorial concessions. This includes integrating security forces and creating states within South Sudan that are thoughtfully drawn, as requested by Machar. There have been a multitude of political concessions made throughout this conflict but they have either been reversed or ineffective.The opposing sides in South Sudan\u2019s civil war must truly buy in to peace by making significant concessions or risk the outbreak of increased violence and suffering.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Works Cited<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cSouth Sudan Profile &#8211; Timeline.\u201d <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">BBC News<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, BBC, 6 Aug. 2018, https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-africa-14019202.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Cederman, Lars-Erik, et al. \u201cDemocratization and Civil War: Empirical Evidence.\u201d <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Journal of Peace Research<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, vol. 47, no. 4, 2010, pp. 377\u2013394., doi:10.1177\/0022343310368336.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Jarstad, Anna K., and Desiree Nilsson. \u201cFrom Words to Deeds: The Implementation of Power-Sharing Pacts in Peace Accords.\u201d <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Conflict Management and Peace Science<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, vol. 25, no. 3, 2008, pp. 206\u2013223., doi:10.1080\/07388940802218945.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Kaufmann, Chaim. \u201cReading 6.3 Possible and Impossible Solutions to Ethnic Civil Wars.\u201d <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Conflict After the Cold War<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, 2017, pp. 356\u2013374., doi:10.4324\/9781315231372-42.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Kuol, Luka. \u201cNavigating the Competing Interests of Regional Actors in South Sudan.\u201d Africa Center for Strategic Studies, 29 May 2018, https:\/\/africacenter.org\/spotlight\/navigating-the-competing-interests-of-regional-actors-in-south-sudan\/.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Zartman, I. William. \u201cAnalyzing Intractability.\u201d <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Pioneers in Arts, Humanities, Science, Engineering, Practice I William Zartman: A Pioneer in Conflict Management and Area Studies<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, 2019, pp. 47\u201367., doi:10.1007\/978-3-030-06079-4_12.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>South Sudan Conflict Analysis South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011 after decades of violent conflict. Praised as the world&#8217;s \u201cnewest democracy,\u201d the country soon plummeted into its own civil war. President Salva Kiir, renowned for his rampant corruption, feared that his vice president, Reik Machar, was plotting to overthrow him. President Kiir wanted [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2663,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-19","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/19","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2663"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/19\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":16,"date":"2018-06-26T16:04:45","date_gmt":"2018-06-26T16:04:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/spatemplate\/?page_id=16"},"modified":"2021-03-18T03:54:49","modified_gmt":"2021-03-18T03:54:49","slug":"about-me","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/","title":{"rendered":"About Me"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Nice to meet you! My name is Sophie and I am a current junior at American University in the School of Public Affairs (SPA). I intend to double major in Political Science and French Studies. I am a member of the SPA\u2019s Leadership Program which prepares students for careers in public service. I am excited to have served throughout my sophomore year as the First-Year TA for the Immigration &amp; Refugee Rights issue group, where I helped freshmen to effectively use their newfound research skills to implement a social action project.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-73\" src=\"http:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1272\/2019\/09\/IMG-2968-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"330\" height=\"220\" srcset=\"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1272\/2019\/09\/IMG-2968-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1272\/2019\/09\/IMG-2968-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1272\/2019\/09\/IMG-2968-1024x683.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 330px) 100vw, 330px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">I am originally from Westchester, NY where I attended Pleasantville High School. I actively participated in athletics, academics, and the arts. I graduated in the top ten percent of my class and won the P.E.O. STAR Scholarship. At the moment, I am a Legislative Intern in the U.S. House of Representatives. As an Organizing Fellow with Mondaire Jones for Congress in NY-17, I was proud to train volunteers, recruit youth, and connect with voters in my home district. When I&#8217;m not helping elect a progressive candidate to Congress, <\/span>I work as a Starbucks barista, read lots of books, and enjoy hiking in the Hudson Valley.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">I will take my commitment to learning about and from others throughout my years at American and beyond. I am extremely interested in immigration policy and I hope to use my extensive French and Spanish language skills to help those seeking a new home in the United States. Other areas that I am passionate about include gun reform, women&#8217;s &amp; minority issues, and income inequality. Wherever I end up, I know my life will be in the service of others.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nice to meet you! My name is Sophie and I am a current junior at American University in the School of Public Affairs (SPA). I intend to double major in Political Science and French Studies. I am a member of the SPA\u2019s Leadership Program which prepares students for careers in public service. I am excited [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2663,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-16","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2663"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":13,"date":"2018-06-26T16:04:45","date_gmt":"2018-06-26T16:04:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/spatemplate\/?page_id=13"},"modified":"2020-10-01T23:23:45","modified_gmt":"2020-10-01T23:23:45","slug":"resume","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/resume\/","title":{"rendered":"Resume"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>SOPHIE R. RAPLEY<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Chevy Chase, MD \u25cf (914) 357-1449 \u25cf rapleysoru@gmail.com \u25cf<a href=\"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/\"> www.edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>EDUCATION<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>American University<\/strong>, School of Public Affairs (SPA), Washington, DC\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <em>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Expected<\/em>: May 2022<\/p>\n<p>Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Bachelor of Arts in French Studies\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <em>GPA<\/em>: 3.83<\/p>\n<p><em>Activities<\/em>: AU Scholars Program, SPA Leadership Program, Phi Sigma Pi Honor Fraternity: Leadership Committee<\/p>\n<p><strong>EXPERIENCE<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Grassroots Organizing Intern<\/em>, <strong>Chesapeake Climate Action Network<\/strong>, Takoma Park, MD\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 August 2020 \u2013 Present<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Research Maryland General Assembly and related institutions to measure support for environmental legislation<\/li>\n<li>Assist in implementation of No New Fossil Fuel\u2019s Campaign in Maryland<\/li>\n<li>Manage volunteer intake and engage volunteers through phonebanks and social media<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Organizing Fellow<\/em><strong>, Mondaire for Congress<\/strong>, Westchester, NY\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 March 2020 \u2013 August 2020<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Hosted virtual phonebanks for 50+ volunteers. Confirmed attendees, trained first-time phone bankers on ThruTalk, VPBs, and progressive policies, chased flaky volunteers while maintaining energy throughout<\/li>\n<li>Launched social media campaign where volunteers shared their personal stories outlining their support for the candidate with final compilation video receiving thousands of views on social media<\/li>\n<li>Led 1:1 relational organizing sessions with volunteers. Educated volunteers on unlocking their personal networks, trained them on the Reach app, and guided volunteers on candidate and policy issues<\/li>\n<li>Engaged in 15-20 hours per week of direct voter contact on the ThruTalk dialer, VPBs, and social media<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>First-Year TA<\/em>, <strong>School of Public Affairs Leadership Program<\/strong>, Washington, DC\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0August 2019 &#8211; May 2020<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Supervised cohort of six freshmen in developing a group social action project on immigrant &amp; refugee rights<\/li>\n<li>Mentored students on research and writing skills and advised on methods for community engagement<\/li>\n<li>Organized retreats, social events, and study sessions for first-year class while maintaining a professional rapport<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Staff Assistant<\/em>, <strong>Office of the Registrar: Washington College of Law<\/strong>, Washington, DC\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 August 2019 &#8211; March 2020<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Assisted registrar in updating current databases, student scheduling, and proctoring exams<\/li>\n<li>Handled front-desk interactions with law students, professors, and federal investigators<\/li>\n<li>Consolidated sensitive law school records to facilitate mass transition to a comprehensive electronic record<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Legislative Services Intern<\/em>, <strong>Office of Congressman Eliot Engel<\/strong>, Washington, DC\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0January 2019 &#8211; May 2019<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Prepared legislative research memos and attended informational briefings for staffers on foreign affairs issues<\/li>\n<li>Compiled prospective meeting &amp; event calendars for office scheduler and conducted Capitol tours<\/li>\n<li>Performed daily tasks such as morning mail reports, answering phones, and responding to constituents<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Youth Volunteer<\/em>, <strong>Appalachia Service Project<\/strong>, West Virginia &amp; Kentucky\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0July 2016 &#8211; July 2019<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Forged relationships with homeowners and gained insight into the cycle of poverty while repairing houses<\/li>\n<li>Mentored younger volunteers and spread awareness by speaking at local dinners and masses<\/li>\n<li>Fundraised by organizing annual pancake breakfast and direct mail campaign to donors<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>SKILLS<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Languages<\/strong>: French (Advanced); Spanish (Intermediate)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Computer<\/strong>: Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel), InterTrac, WordPress, iConstituent, ImageNow, VoteBuilder, Reach, ThruTalk, Spoke<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/1drv.ms\/w\/s!Aub8MHe12MKsjF0OqETBiYnAEx9O?e=8LJ5PM\">Resume Download<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SOPHIE R. RAPLEY Chevy Chase, MD \u25cf (914) 357-1449 \u25cf rapleysoru@gmail.com \u25cf www.edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/ EDUCATION American University, School of Public Affairs (SPA), Washington, DC\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Expected: May 2022 Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Bachelor of Arts in French Studies\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 GPA: 3.83 Activities: AU Scholars Program, SPA Leadership Program, Phi Sigma Pi Honor Fraternity: Leadership Committee [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2663,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-13","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2663"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/sr8377b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}]