Meet Roxanne Heston! She is studying Economics / Finance and Mathematics. She attended the Women in Global Policy PLEN conference to further develop her career interest in global impact analysis and forecasting research.
Describe yourself and why you wanted to attend the PLEN Conference.
I have considered work in the nonprofit sector, academic, and even corporate philanthropy, but have always had a bit of a black box notion of how much and what one can do through government. I chose to attend to the PLEN conference on global policy to gain a real notion of what it is like to work in that sector.
What were your favorite parts of the conference?
While lots of the content of the talks were informative, I found the introductions to be particularly so. Hearing these accomplished professional women speak about what they were like at our age, particularly the trajectories that took them to where they are now, made concrete an otherwise-distant and -daunting endeavor. Their experiences cut at my preconception that acquiring influence and respect requires familial connections, money, or political jockeying. Their realism, combined with their continued enthusiasm for the work, put a career in global policy on tangible grounds while further piquing my interest.
Who was your favorite speaker?
I particularly enjoyed the US Foreign Policy towards Asia panel, comprised of an impressive array of experts from US Department of State, the Congressional Research Service, the Brookings Institution, and the Stimson Center. Their discussion focused heavily on the difficulties faced at all levels when trying to encourage good foreign policy — from the political pressures faced by public figures to the limited time and comprehension of the legislators
What do you hope to never forget?
One of the more fundamental takeaways I had from PLEN was the importance of persisting on good trajectories, even if you have a succession of failures. So much of the work done on the Hill or in policy-relevant research is hit-and-miss, with months of sweat and tears amounting to nothing more than painful bill or budget proposal rejection. But the story I heard again and again was of times where dedication, ingenuity, and good character real did pay off in the end. I hope to carry that advice with me, to maintain an outlook of the forest beyond the trees.
Why should other students attend a PLEN conference?
PLEN can assist students who are looking to turn their textbook understanding into real-world intuition and tangible next steps. I would encourage students to attend who are interested in and knowledgeable about the topic PLEN will address, but still feel like there is a disconnect between their declarative knowledge and the way in which that knowledge manifests in real life.
Does this sound like something you might be interested in? Tulane undergraduate students can apply to NCI for funding to attend PLEN conferences. Email Betsy Lopez at elopez@tulane.edu for more information.
Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.