Department of Political Science

As I begin my journey at Vanderbilt University, I would like to reflect upon how the IPAW program has given me a leg up in preparing to start my first year in the Political Science PhD program. I will be entering Vanderbilt’s PhD program with two years of R, RStudio, and LaTeX experience under my belt thanks to my time in the IPAW program at Indiana University. Those two years of experience helped make me a more marketable candidate to graduate schools during the application process, illustrating my passion for picking up new skills and the ability to utilize common tools in the field. I feel confident that I have been well trained to work effectively with collaborators on future projects and papers. IPAW has taught me more than just tangible skills, the program has taught me how to never give up when things become difficult, because that is when you grow as not only a student, but as a person.