What is your current job?
Director of Education Strategy at American Prison Data Systems. I work with correctional facilities to create and execute plans for transforming how they deliver education, using technology.
Why did you choose this profession?
I have always worked in and been passionate about education. The reason for my specific focus now is that, for people who are incarcerated, quality education is a foundational need in terms of finding success after release. Prisons and jails are increasingly recognizing the connection between better education programs and lower recidivism rates, and it is exciting to work with facilities and leaders who are making meaningful changes.
What more do you wish to accomplish in your professional career?
In terms of personal growth, I'd like to take on increasing responsibility for leadership responsibilities and high-level strategic decisions as I advance in my career. One thing that drew me to my current position is that it gives me access to those kinds of opportunities.
Tell us about a decision or change you made that turned out to be a positive career move.
Going back to graduate school after working full-time for six years seemed like it was maybe too long at first. But it turned out to be a great choice, because I was able to reference my work experience to fully engage with what I was learning and get the most out of it, but then that experience really allowed me to make the move that I had wanted to in my career.
How has Haverford influenced your professional career?
I'd say there are two major ways in which Haverford has influenced me professionally, even though I am working in a profession not directly related to my studies. The first is that I really learned to think critically and see connections between seemingly disparate things; as I work to get a handle on possible solutions for big, complex problems, this mindset is essential. The second way in which Haverford has influenced me has to do with how I see my own place in the world. It instilled in me an obligation to use the privileges that I have to meaningfully help others, my community, and ideally society as a whole.