Stephanie Thomas shares her passion for community development

Stephanie (Bickler) Thomas (’12, Global Studies; Society, Ethics & Human Behavior) shared her experiences in Raissa DeSmet’s Portfolio Capstone course (BIS 499). At UW Bothell, Stephanie found a passion for community development, which led her to Zambia, Ethiopia, and Haiti, and eventually, to Northwest University where she completed an MA in International Community Development (’15).

Since graduating, Stephanie has earned a Certificate in Nonprofit Management and served as Engagement and Operations Manager at Mona Foundation, where she cultivated and managed the foundation’s base of supporters. Stephanie currently works at United Way Snohomish County as their Learning and Analytics Manager. In this role, she researches and analyzes development trends, enabling the organization to function more strategically.

Stephanie discussed the advantages of interdisciplinary learning with students. She noted that IAS graduates possess a breadth of knowledge that enables them to think critically across work contexts, providing a competitive edge in the job market. Stephanie also acknowledged IAS group work and research projects as comparable to paid work experience in many cases. Above all, Stephanie encouraged students to expect their job searches to take time, to seize every opportunity, and to believe their career goals will be realized.