Career Services Spotlight – Catherine Mock, MPA ’18, Education Pioneers
For the Summer of 2018, I was an Education Pioneers Fellow at Acelero Learning. I joined their Shine Early Learning division as the State Quality Initiatives Strategist to develop strategic analysis and recommendations related to the Child Care program regarding how to approach opportunities in key states for quality enhancement efforts in early education, family engagement and data management. I was responsible for researching approved state-level Child Care and Development Fund plans and current funding trends, existing contracts and structures, and identifying points of potential alignment or need with the quality enhancement work offered by my division.
In this role, I learned not only about the early education issues that state administrators must weigh in making key state plan decisions, but I also had the chance to hone my qualitative skills in my interviews with child care administrators across the country. Along with this summer project, I also participated in Education Pioneers’ professional development workshops which was a great opportunity to reflect and connect with other fellows in the New York City area. This fellowship was the perfect fit for me because I wanted to find a way to make an impact in education outside of the classroom; Education Pioneers provided a pathway to propel me into education research, and after the fellowship, I was hired on to continue as their Research and Strategy Analyst to support their grant division.
With the guidance of Marxe Career Services, I secured this fellowship! Simply making that first appointment to review my resume was the start to discerning which opportunities matched my interests. With every appointment, I received hands-on help from my advisor throughout the application process. My advice to students seeking a fellowship is to reflect on your transferable skills you’ve gained from your classes and past employment that can uplift your application!