Hey everyone! As the spring semester came to a close, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on my junior year and share some of the incredible experiences I had during the last stretch of the 2022-2023 academic year. It was a whirlwind of fulfilling educational obligations as a student while also seizing the chance to enhance my professional journey through a recent employment opportunity. Let me tell you all about it.

Firstly, let's talk about my classes. This semester, I dove into upper-level Political Science courses that truly challenged me. To say that this academic journey was comparable to previous semesters would be an understatement. It was a busy period, but surprisingly, it turned out to be incredibly rewarding. One particular class that stood out was Chinese Politics and Foreign Affairs. The professor tasked us with delivering a research paper by the end of the semester. Throughout the term, I received invaluable guidance and mentorship from my professor, which helped me produce a high-quality piece of academic writing aligned with the class's topic. I'm proud to announce that, after countless hours of revision, my paper was approved for publishing at the esteemed Social Science Research Network (SSRN). If you're interested, you can access a copy of the paper through this link: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4444845

Now, let's turn our attention to my involvement on campus through my employment with the Eliminate Tobacco Use Missouri Initiate (ETU MO), which operates under the University of Missouri Healthcare System (MU Health). As a Research Assistant for this initiative, I embarked on an exciting journey that enriched my professional experience. My role involved conducting research, collecting data, and, most importantly, serving the public health cause. Initially, as a political science student, I had some reservations about being involved in something seemingly unrelated to my field of study. However, those fears and assumptions were quickly proven wrong.

It became clear to me that policymaking and healthcare are deeply interconnected fields. I discovered the importance of incorporating the perspective and expertise of individuals familiar with policymaking into a health-focused working environment. Throughout my time with ETU MO, I had countless opportunities to exchange knowledge with my coworkers, who came from diverse fields of study. This diversity enhanced my appreciation for the value of collaboration in achieving the greater good for the public. It was a true eye-opener, and it solidified my belief in the power of workplace diversity.

In conclusion, I can confidently say that this semester has been one of the busiest and most rewarding periods of my time at Mizzou. I am immensely grateful for the opportunities provided by my host institution and the USTL Program. They have enabled me to grow both academically and professionally, pushing me beyond my comfort zone and opening doors to new and exciting experiences.

Thank you all for joining me on this journey, and I can't wait to see what the next academic year holds in store for all of us!