This fall, Jizelle Campbell, will follow her passion for advocacy and connecting with others all the way to American University in D.C., earning a master’s degree in International Affairs Policy and Analysis.
Jizelle Campbell ’20 from Greensboro, N.C., first considered graduate school as a sophomore when she attended the Student Professional Development Center’s graduate fair. Today, she is the next student to be featured in the “Career Moves” series, highlighting her achievements as she starts down her dream career path towards women’s advocacy and global gender policy.
Please tell me about your experience getting accepted to American University.
From the beginning of the application process, American University’s Master’s of International Affairs Policy and Analysis has always been my first choice. Though it took some time to finalize my statement of purpose, I was extremely proud of myself for being able to clearly express on paper my passion to continue my education in International Affairs at American. Although I’m sad that my undergraduate experience here at Elon was cut short, I’m extremely excited to begin this new chapter!
Who did you work with, and what help did you receive, from the Student Professional Development Center?
Over the past year, I’ve worked closely with Rachael Rysz. In addition to providing reliable resources from the Elon Job Network and helping me to craft my resume, applications, and more, Rachael has been an all-around joy to work with and keeps me excited as well as confident about my future. Not to mention, she has always made me feel comfortable about asking any and all questions related to job searching, networking, and even something as simple as wording an email!
What recommendations would you share with students about the Student Professional Development Center?
My biggest recommendation for students about the Student Professional Development Center is to start utilizing everything the SPDC has to offer as soon as possible. Not only does the SPDC provide a huge variety of tools for Elon students such as career fairs to workshops to networking platforms, but it’s a free resource right at our fingertips! It’s never too early to start – and on the same note for students who might feel they are “behind” – it’s never too late either!
What career goals do you have after you gain experience?
My envisioned professional future is to work in a field that intersects women’s advocacy and global gender policy, specifically within the region of Latin America. By furthering my education through American University’s IAPA program, my goal is to gain the hard skills necessary to begin work within such a field, so that I can adequately acquit with the right tools to achieve success. During my time studying in D.C, it is also my goal to begin building a network of other empowered women of color, in order to immerse myself within a strong and supportive community.
Despite the difficult time, we find ourselves in, Jizelle Campbell is an inspiration for others to keep persevering towards their post-graduate goals. We cannot wait to follow her around the world as she empowers communities and implements equitable policy.