Interview with Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center’s Emily Ebersman

Can you describe your role and any current projects you’re working on?

Emily Ebersman: I am a podcast intern with the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center’s podcast Maine Policy Matters. As a podcast intern, I am responsible for transcribing episodes, developing panelist questions, and researching personal backgrounds and work with the Center in order to create introductions. A current project that I am working on is the episode about Maine’s forestlands and their importance to the Wabanaki population’s culture. I am having a wonderful time working on this project because ever since moving to Maine and pursuing an English and political science degree, I have been fascinated by learning more about the rich history of Maine’s indigenous populations, as well as Maine’s policies surrounding tribal sovereignty. Getting to participate in a project like this is not only interesting, but also extremely rewarding because I have the chance to contribute in bridging communication between researchers and policy-makers and the general public, and spreading awareness about important issues that I, myself, was not aware of before attending UMaine. 

Is there a recent academic project you’ve completed?

I recently completed my capstone project on Transparency in the Writing Center, where I discussed how to implement transparency into tutoring sessions to combat student shame. Coming into UMaine with deeply-rooted academic insecurities and working through them with the help of faculty and student tutoring programs gives me a unique perspective about how to effectively work with students, specifically first-years, who may not feel extremely confident in their academic strengths while transitioning from high school to college. Throughout three semesters tutoring at the UMaine Writing Center, as well as serving as a Peer Mentor for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences first-year undeclared, or “Explorations” students, I learned that to help first-year students succeed in college-level English classes, it is essential to be transparent with them about my own academic struggles and reliance on resources. Being able to present my capstone surrounded by the peers who I have spent three years learning and growing with was so rewarding, and it was inspiring to see how far we each have come. 

What specific areas of your academic studies or research interests do you think will most heavily influence the content you want to create for this podcast?

Since taking WGS 371: Reading in Literature Theory & Criticism: Border Crossing with Dr. Rosalie Purvis in Spring of my sophomore year and completing my final project on managing language barriers in healthcare, I have found myself compelled by healthcare policy. While my project focused on healthcare policy nationally, I look forward to researching and becoming more familiar with Maine’s healthcare policy. I also have interests in child protection and advocacy, and hope to learn more about Maine’s child protection policies. 

What specifically drew you to this internship, and what unique perspective do you hope to bring to our podcast team?

I was drawn to this internship because the Center’s work is so compelling and inspiring to me. Being able to be a part of an organization that focuses on so many different topics and speaks to the experiences of a wide range of people who I would not get the opportunity to learn from otherwise is something that I never thought I would be lucky enough to experience. Additionally, most of my work has been in written communication, and the idea of communicating with a broader population through a podcast is something that was new to me. While I am an avid listener of podcasts, I was compelled by the idea of being on the other side of podcasting and getting to play a role in producing them. I feel that I have a unique perspective as an out-of-state political science student because I have not lived in Maine for very long, so I am able to see clearly the significance of MPR’s research and contrast the lived experiences of authors with my own experiences as a Massachusetts resident. Additionally, my political science education provides me with a unique perspective about Maine’s policy initiatives, and can situate them within my coursework. I hope to bring these perspectives to my work here at MPM. 

What recent conferences, workshops, or events have you attended or presented at?

I attended two accepted students events as a Student Ambassador, presenting to incoming undeclared first-year students about my experience in the Explorations Program, and the resources that I utilized in order to be successful during such a difficult transition from high school to college. 

Have you received any awards, recognitions, or certifications recently?

I was recently inducted into the international English honor society Sigma Tau Delta. I am currently working towards my paralegal certification, and will hopefully have it by the end of next semester. 

Can you share a recent achievement or accomplishment, either academic or personal, that you are particularly proud of and explain how you achieved it?

I am particularly proud of joining this team here at the Center, because this is the first time that I am able to apply my academic interests to a professional setting. I have come a long way since my first semester at UMaine, and I went from being an undeclared 18-year-old who had no idea what I wanted to do, to being a decisive 21-year-old with two majors that I am excited to devote my life to improving on. It is through the coursework I completed and connections made that I was able to find the fields of study that I am passionate about and commit to being the best that I possibly can.