An upcoming member of Oklahoma State’s 2022 graduation class, senior Reagan Page tells the O’Colly about her experiences in her classes at OSU and her international ambitions after graduation.
“I am a political science and global studies major with anthropology and Russian minors. I have a longstanding passion for civic duty and desire to represent my country in the world. For much of college, I was conflicted on what that meant in terms of careers. I either wanted to work in the intelligence community promoting national security or in the State Department’s Foreign Service promoting U.S. interests. I could not decide between the two; neither seemed to quite match my interests or fit with how I wanted to impact the world. However, when I read Half the Sky, a book about empowering women and using this to build opportunity in low-income countries, I realized what I was called to do. I did not know how I wanted to pursue it, but I knew that international development was the path I wanted to take.
“My professors recommended that I look into USAID. When I did, I finally found a career fit. I want to work as a Crisis, Stabilization and Governance Officer, advancing U.S. foreign policy goals by helping countries develop institutions promoting economic development and good governance. Within this area, I want to focus on women’s rights and empowerment. I am interested making foreign aid more effective, promoting U.S. international interests, and working with citizens of other countries.
“As of now, I have applied to a lot of different things for my next step. I have applied for a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant position in Kyrgyzstan and hope that is where I will be at this time next year. However, I have also applied for the Peace Corps, where my application is currently being reviewed for a Community Economic Development Facilitator position in Guatemala, and the Global Mission Fellows Program, which is a similar program through the Methodist Church. I am also applying to begin my International Development Master’s Degree at several universities. I want to see the world and gain experience that will allow me to do the best possible job in my career field.
“I don’t know what my next step will exactly be, but I am excited for whatever is in store and know that my time at OSU has prepared me for it! I have been able to make these decisions not only because of the fields I have been able to explore, but also because of the amazing relationships I have developed with my professors. I am happy to call so many people my mentors and role models. I know that every one of them is willing to take up their personal time to aid me with scholarship applications and essays, practice interviews, graduate school planning, and just general life advice. These supportive relationships developed me as a person and as an academic. I cannot thank my professors enough. People warn you about going to a big school and try to tell you that no one will know you, but I have experienced the opposite, with so much time poured into me as an individual.”
