This summer we caught up with UConn School of Public Policy (SPP) student Yara Medawar as she served as a Program Coordinator for UConn Pre-College Summer (PCS). This fall she started as a graduate assistant (GA) with PCS, and will continue this role into the spring as she wraps up her Master of Public Policy (MPP) with SPP.

While serving as a GA, Yara plans and organizes academic, leadership and social student exploratory workshops. She facilitates the collection of assessments and evaluations for PCS courses, workshops and both faculty and parent experiences. Yara then utilizes this data to build and analyze assessment reports for review, which allows her to provide implications for the Program.

She explains, “I consider and infuse my SPP coursework into Program offerings and practices. Every day I bear in mind issues of admission, access, program development, advising, student development and counseling.”

Her reviews and revisions of policies and protocols have impacted health forms, program policies and liabilities, course consent forms and newly created COVID policies. She has served on committees to review student scholarship applications and faculty recognition awards. Her GA role has also allowed her to assist in the hiring, onboarding and training of summer residential staff.

This academic year Yara is not just a GA. She is also completing an Internship and Professional Practice (IPP) placement the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management’s Preschool through 20 and Workforce Information Network (P20 WIN). With P20 Win she serves as a Research Intern and supports the network’s goal of sharing longitudinal data across Connecticut agencies. This data is shared in order provide support and education to the state’s workforce.

We look forward to seeing where Yara makes her impact next!