Emily Deanne
Emily Deanne
Bachelor of Arts 2017, Environmental Studies
Emily Deanne is the Communications Assistant for the Federal Communications Team at the Natural Resources Defense Council. Her main areas of work are in protecting public lands, stopping offshore drilling, and improving energy efficiency. She liaises with experts and reporters to spread awareness about environmental issues.
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What excites you about the work you do? I love that every single day I come to work I am actively helping to protect our planet and spread the message about climate change. I am so lucky to be able to dedicate my time to improving protections for people, wildlife, and our planet!
What is the most significant career experience you've had so far, and what made it meaningful to you? I got to attend a rally at the US Capitol meant to stop any proposed rollbacks to the Endangered Species Act. In addition to hearing some amazing speakers, I also got to hold up a sign behind them for the whole event! I met so many members from the environmental non-profit community and I really enjoyed learning more about the history of the Act.
How did GWU and the UHP prepare you for your professional journey? In what ways has your career evolved since you graduated from GWU? My writing skills gained in the UHP and the ability to take a complex message and make it digestible for any audience has really been useful in this role. In the environmental field it is essential to show people why the issue/problem you are writing about is important to them and why they should care. I think I have taken that skill with me from my time in the UHP and it has been extremely useful to be able to convey complicated information in a concise and appealing way.
Advice for current UHP students: Put effort into creating lasting connections with your professors and classmates! You may not realize it now but down the road you'll want to have as many contacts in various fields as you can. This will be helpful for getting your foot in the door, setting up informational interview or even for recommendation letters. Also, if possible make sure you study abroad! Studying glaciers and climate change in Denmark was one of my favorite experiences in college!