Caroline Dierker
Bachelor of Arts, Class of 2007
Advance Representative for Secretary Chertoff at the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security
Q: How did you choose your major?
A: I knew I wanted to pursue a career in politics and wanted to immerse myself in the study of government in order to prepare and gain knowledge. I also had an interest in Russian politics and culture that grew as I went from just a Russian student to a Russian minor and finally to a Russian major after studying abroad in St. Petersburg.
Q: What was your biggest academic challenge while at OU? How did you overcome it?
A: Definitely my upper division Russian classes. I overcame the hurdles by participating in lots of group study sessions with other students in my classes so we could encourage and learn from each other.
Q: What organizations were you involved in at OU?
A: Kappa Kappa Gamma, Arts and Sciences Leadership Scholars, College Republicans, Crimson Club, Graduation Office
Q: What was your favorite class at OU?
A: My Political Science capstone – Politics through Literature and Film
Q: Who was your favorite OU professor?
A: Toss up between Dr. Ronald Gaddie and Dr. Jim Sheffield, both in political science
Q: What are you doing now?
A: I am a political appointee in the Bush administration working for Secretary Michael Chertoff in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. I serve as an advance representative to the Secretary, traveling before him to locations he will visit to work out logistics and help facilitate his visit.
Q: What is your favorite aspect of your current job?
A: The travel and the interaction I have with such fascinating people.
Q: How did your degree help you achieve your goals?
A: I learned of internship opportunities through the political science department, and these internships really helped me develop contacts that would eventually help me land this job. One such opportunity is the Cortez A. M. Ewing Fellowship, which places 4-6 students in summer internships in Washington, D.C. and provides financial assistance to cover living and transportation costs.
Q: What are your future goals?
A: I hope to serve in another presidential administration, eventually attend graduate school in either public policy or business, become a policy expert in a specific area of domestic politics (immigration, the tax code, and social issues all interest me) and create legislation, potentially run for elected office one day on the national scale, and somewhere in there get married and raise children. I hope to develop decent cooking skills, own a lake house, and have a comfortable retirement.
Q: List any study techniques, campus resources, or other factors that helped you graduate?
A: Date your notes and only write on one side of the page in your spiral (this makes studying more manageable later). Tag along with your professors after class as they trek back to Dale Hall and ask them intelligent questions. If your professors set up office hours, time to chat at Starbucks, or a happy hour on Campus Corner, go! Don’t buy your books at the bookstore; rather, get on half.com or amazon.com and order slightly outdated editions for about 1/8 of the cost. Subscribe to the Economist. Find an advisor you trust and with whom you are completely comfortable. This may be your departmental advisor, someone in the Graduation Office, someone in the Center for Student Life, or a professor. You need someone you can email or call to serve as your advocate if you ever feel lost in the system! Resources are available; it may just take a little digging on your part to find them! Beaird Lounge is often overlooked as a great study spot. If you’re broke, you don’t necessarily need to buy ink for your personal printer because you are allotted 200 free printings in campus computer labs per semester. Break up long study guides with other students in your class. Figure out a way to remember peoples’ names. Trace lines of text with your index finger as you read them to speed up your reading.