![Sarah Collins](http://shareyourroad-com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/profile-photos/syr-default-profile-6.jpg)
Sarah Collins
Director of State Policy and Innovation
EPIC
EPIC
Director of State Policy and Innovation
I work to improve public education so that all students are prepared to live, learn, and work in the 21st Century.
I never really have a typical day. Some days I'm traveling across the country to give a speech about changing education. Some days I'm running focus groups with students to better understand the challenges they face in school. Some days I'm doing research and writing papers. I spend a lot of time working with clients - people in state education departments, school districts, and nonprofits - planning projects with them. Emails, meetings, brainstorming sessions, drawing ideas on a whiteboard.
Here's the first step for college students
Build your research, communication, and organization skills. You can do this in the context of the classes you take - but you have to OWN the learning. Sometimes the subject matter of the classes might not seem relevant to your goals, but the skills you're building are. A good place to hone and apply these skills to something real is with an internship. School districts, state departments of education, and nonprofits are all looking for someone who is passionate and curious and eager to learn.
"You're a good artist and all, but you're too smart to just be an artist. You should go to college so you can get a real job."