Ellen is a rising senior at Boston College where she majors in International Studies and English. She joins the CTWAC team this summer as the Community Outreach and Membership Intern. In her free time, Ellen likes to run, read and travel. Welcome to the CTWAC team, Ellen!

1. When and why did you first show interest in global affairs?
I first became interested in global affairs as a student interested in political science and comparative government. I am fascinated on how electoral processes are carried out or restricted around the world.

2. Do you have a particular area of interest within global affairs?
I’m particularly interested in issues surrounding public health and women’s rights. Last summer, I interned at a consulting firm that did contract work for the U.S. Agency for International Development, which introduced me to a wide array of different areas of interest within global affairs. Through this work, I became particularly interested in the rising spread of misinformation through online networks.

3. What do you do at CTWAC?
In my position at CTWAC, I work to connect with all of our members to receive feedback on the programming that CTWAC is doing. Additionally, I try to create partnerships with other nonprofit organizations in Greater Hartford with the aim of enabling CTWAC to reach a wide array of Connecticut residents in its outreach and programming.

4. What do you do in your free time?
I love to run, read and travel. I work at a local bookstore in Glastonbury, and I spend a lot of my time catching up on the latest releases!

5. Why do you think that global engagement is important?
I think global engagement is important because we live in a world where so many people are naïve to the events occurring outside of their own neighborhoods. It’s so important to learn about current events and different cultures in order to relate to and understand people who come from different backgrounds.

6. Do you have any tips on how to get involved in global affairs?
Follow the news! It’s so important to understand what’s going on in the world in order to be able to engage in discussions surrounding global affairs.