Evans said she feels strongly that the academic coursework and required internship prepared her well for her career.

While what she learned in the classroom built her foundation, she said she believes applying what she learned to her career has made the greatest impact. 

“I remember investigating organizations and people, learning what a FOIA is, the history of it, why it's important, and also looking at records and finding the story within them.”

That foundation now directly connects to her current role.

Today, she assists the lead FOIA analyst in processing requests, taking on assignments as they come into the office, and ensuring that the appropriate and releasable information is provided to the public in a timely manner.

“Internship experience assisted and prepared me for my career, and it allowed me to network and ultimately landed me in the position I am in,” said Evans. 

Evans added that the skills she developed at Quinnipiac, including qualitative research, effective writing, strategic communication, contextual reasoning, and policy and research analysis, are ones she uses every day in her career.  

For students hoping to follow a similar path, Evans offered some simple but powerful advice.

“Be confident in your capabilities, what you offer and your ability to execute. No matter who's in the room, make sure your voice is heard because you're there for a reason,” she said, citing advice that helped her when she was launching her career.