Elizabeth Allan
Roosevelt was a foundational part of the transformational 4.5 years I spent at UGA. As a student member, a scholar in the class, board member, and TA, I made some of my deepest friendships at UGA and found a home for my intellectual development. I am currently a student in the University of Oxford's MPhil in Modern Middle Eastern Studies Program as a Rhodes Scholar. Two aspects of my Roosevelt experience continue to stand-out as experiences that shaped my current perspectives and skill sets. First was the opportunity that Roosevelt gave me to delve into the nitty gritty of policy work. By working on an early childhood education policy proposal that focused on Athens, I was exposed to the realities of working with a community and developing a policy proposal customized to a specific community. Secondly, Roosevelt was an amazing opportunity to talk with other extraordinarily brilliant and interesting students about topics about whichI knew relatively little. These conversations challenged me and informed me, and I continue to draw on the formal and informal conversations that I had with speakers and other club members today.