Catherine Campos (’18) has joined the Socrates Program at The Aspen Institute, an international nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C.
Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve the most important challenges facing the United States and the world. The Socrates Program provides a forum for emerging leaders from various professions to convene and explore contemporary issues through expert-moderated dialogue.
In her role as Program Coordinator, Campos researches moderators, topics, biographies, and works closely with the moderators of the institute’s Socrates events. Additionally, Campos will engage with alumni of the Socrates Program and facilitate communication through social media, marketing, and newsletters.
“I’m looking forward to meeting and learning from experts that come to Socrates and the Aspen Institute to moderate our events and support facilitation of conversations that bring enlightenment to others,” Campos said.
Campos, whose official start date was September 13, said that her experience at the Clinton School helped lead her to her current role with the Socrates Program.
“From my classroom studies in communications, international development and policy, and philosophy, to my field studies throughout Arkansas conducting interviews and focus groups, and in rural Uganda gathering social media and communications data for an international organization, my time at the Clinton School directly correlates with my position at The Aspen Institute and Socrates Program,” Campos said.
As a Clinton School student, Campos was part of a team that partnered with the Arkansas Children’s Research Institute to develop a comprehensive report of effectiveness of the Arkansas GardenCorps, which promotes the use of school and community gardens.
As part of her International Public Service Project, Campos worked with Limited Resource Teacher Training (LRTT) in Kanungu, Uganda. She helped create a recruitment strategy for LRTT in order for the organization to better tell its story and reach teachers that would benefit from the program. In order for Campos to this, she worked with the LRTT staff in implementing an impact assessment of the program.
Campos continued the partnership with LRTT on her final Capstone project. Using best practices, Campos designed an alumni network for the organization, which serves as a recruitment, fundraising, and networking opportunity for alumni and LRTT.
“I would say, though, the most important lesson I learned at the Clinton School which I will utilize in my new position will be the importance of listening, speaking to, working with, and conversing with those that I might not have reached out to prior to my attending the Clinton School,” Campos said. “The Clinton School constantly pushed me to research and seek new and different ideas from my own which will be necessary in my position at The Aspen Institute.”
A native of Miami, Fla., Campos served two years with City Year Jacksonville and worked with the Jacksonville Education Fund before enrolling at the Clinton School. In addition to her Master of Public Service, she is a graduate of Florida State University with a degree in theater and sociology.
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