It’s rough trying to have it all – to be a student, a mentor, a leader and an inspiration – but one talented individual found success in all these different roles. That inspirational figure is none other than Daijanique Joseph, who helped to #ActivateTalent in kids across the country. She inspired us, so we at OVPTL hope that you agree she deserves to be recognized for her hard work and commitment to causing campus-wide change.
As her UCI commencement looms closer, School of Social Sciences’ senior Daijanique Joseph is gearing up for a future of championing educational equity. After being selected for the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP), she conducted her own research on the academic persistence of African-American female college students at four-year institutions. This is a demographic that she realized academic studies largely ignored for several decades.
She also studied abroad in Barbados, and completed the Public Policy and International Affairs Program at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. But perhaps the most impactful experience she’s had was her time with the University of California Washington, D.C. (UCDC) academic internship program.
As part of the UC-wide program, she interned with the Congressional Black Caucus in Washington, D.C., giving her a real look at the world of politics, policy, and research. Though she worked 40 hours a week writing policy memos and conducting research for grant proposals, empirical analyses, and briefing packets, she could not resist getting involved with local schools in her free time.
“I felt so appreciative for the opportunity to even be there in D.C. – it’s not something many students get to do,” she says. “I saw the opportunity in itself as a sign of privilege, so I thought I should use it to help others.”
Instead of using her days off to sightsee and relax, she decided to volunteer to take students from low-income communities in the D.C. area and visit local landmarks and government buildings. She hoped to serve as an example as well as a motivation to the high school and junior high students.
“Even though these students live so close, most of them had never really seen these places for themselves,” she says. “It was about showing them that they are just steps away from all this and that they could even be a part of it in the future. Showing them that politics isn’t far-fetched, that it’s accessible and it is relatable to them.”
Following her graduation this spring, Joseph hopes to participate in a government fellowship program and then go on to pursue a Juris Doctor (JD) and a Master of Public Policy (MPP) dual degree. Her goal is to find a career that allows her to create laws and policies to remedy problems within the education system, perhaps as a senator or representative. But she’d also be happy with a more behind-the-scenes role in public administration and research – as long as she is instrumental in making these changes happen.
“My parents always tell me to ‘just do it all,’ she says. “So who knows – maybe I’ll end up
doing both.”
So there you go! It is not impossible to do it all, as long as you have the strength and commitment to #ActivateTalent around you. We have spread the word, now it is your turn to go out there and be like Daijanique — go find a need, and fill it.
Learn more about UCDC and the unique opportunities it provides for students
at: http://www.dccenter.uci.edu/
Original article by Bria Balliet, UCI School of Social Sciences, https://www.socsci.uci.edu/newsevents/news/2018/2018-01-23-joseph.php