Congratulations CCRS Graduating Research Assistants!

CCRS has always been fortunate to work with a cadre of dedicated, enthusiastic, and high-performing students. We wish the graduates all the best and look forward to see the returning students in the fall. Graduating this year are: Dakota Edwards, Natalie Paramo, and Josh Solge. We look forward to hearing about your successes and experiences in the future! Below Dakota, Natalie and Josh reflect on their most valuable experience at UD.​

Dakota Edwards, MA in Urban Affairs and Public Policy

Dakota's research assistantship has been with the Wilmington City Council, assisting them with work on anti-racism policies. After graduation she plans to apply to the Peace Corps as a Youth in Development Volunteer in either Thailand or South America.

There is not a singular experience I can cite as the most valuable, because that would be a minimization of the very real way "it takes a village" applies not only to raising children, but to creating a successful graduate program. I am immensely grateful for the guidance my advisor Danilo Yanich gave me, as well as the patience, understanding, and knowledge extended--gifted, in fact--to me by my professors. I learned how to be a better researcher as well as a more critical citizen of this country and the world at the Biden School because of them.​​​​

Natalie Paramo, BA in Public Policy and Global Studies

Natalie has been interning the past year with CCRS's Delaware KIDS COUNT program. After graduating she plans to take some time off to be with her family after not seeing them for so long before leaving for DC where she wants to continue her career. In DC she hopes to work along lobbyists and policymakers to further her aspiration of being a devoted community advocate.

My most valuable experience at UD was meeting the people I have met. Most of them I have met over the three study abroad experiences I had in my four years at the university. We went through a lot together in our trips away from home and I know we'll stay in touch amongst our distances.​

Josh Solge, MA in Urban Affairs and Public Policy

Over the past year, Josh received a Gilman fellowship and had a research assistantship under Steve Metraux, where he worked on projects that examined eviction filings during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the nature and extent of family homelessness in Delaware. This has let him work on various projects related to housing, which is his main interest. After graduation, Josh plans to wait a little on acquiring a full-time job as he and his wife will be having a little girl due in the middle of June. Congratulations!

All of my coursework has been really informative and helped me develop many, hopefully, marketable skills. However, I think my two years of graduate assistantships have been the best experience getting my Masters at UD. They provided me the opportunity to get real world experience doing policy research and meeting policy-makers and community leaders. They've also helped build confidence that I can probably do this kind of work for a living after graduation.​

^05/26/2021