Rhodes student Margaret Wakefield's ambition to forge a path in public service has marked the advent of a significant stride — her inclusion in the Academy for Civic Education and Democracy (ACED) at George Washington University. According to a Rhodes College announcement, Wakefield, a political science major with an international studies minor, is one of the few young minds picked for this distinctive journey into civic leadership. The ACED program, now in its second year, selected Wakefield based on her active campus engagement and her zealous interest in crossing bridges among differing viewpoints. Additionally, her leadership talents and potential stood out to the admissions committee.
During her time in the program, which started in June for an eight-week stretch, Wakefield is tackling an accredited course and securing real-world experience through an internship. To further expand her already diverse expertise, she has opted to spend her ACED tenure as a policy intern with the Afterschool Alliance in D.C. There, she is diligently working with databases to accurately track and analyze district funding allocated to afterschool programs. Her role includes interviewing district leaders, categorizing expenditure decisions, and contributing to published blog posts, an endeavor that seems to seamlessly heighten her acumen in policy analysis.
Wakefield brings a substantial amount of prior experience into this high-caliber program. Her background includes interning at the Shelby County Public Defender's Office in Memphis and working as a governmental relations intern for the Alabama Trails Foundation. Her foray into political campaigns provided her a hands-on perspective on political strategy and policy development, setting the foundation for her current pursuits.
Not merely confined to theoretical understanding, Wakefield is known for her diverse collegiate engagements. She is an active athlete on the women's soccer team, a leader in the Tri Delta sorority, and a participant in honor societies. Her time at ACED promises to further sharpen her leadership skills and policy knowledge, critical for her planned career in law, a goal Wakefield has articulated to Rhodes College. The opportunities to engage with key stakeholders from various sectors and to complete her internship provide Wakefield a platform to not only critically engage with, but also to contribute to, the fabric of civic discourse and responsibility.
