Erinn Heffes

“Often times I believe MA programs can make you feel boxed in with a very niche focus, but CCT is for everyone”

Academic Background: BA in International Studies with a specialization in Management

Area of focus in CCT: Cultural Studies & Communication, Communication in the non-profit space and the role of culture & technology as it relates to the arts.

What did you do before CCT? I worked for the UN Foundation in Washington, DC on their Shot@Life team which supports Global Health Advocacy efforts and am still currently working at the UN Foundation on their Girl Up team as a Global Operations Associate

What activities do you participate in at CCT? As a first year with only a few weeks of school under her belt, I am still exploring different areas to get more involved in at CCT. I will say that I am interested in the Global Media Group and getting to explore more cultures and concepts through media.

Why did you choose CCT? As someone with a plethora of interests, CCT’s interdisciplinary program was the perfect place for me to bridge the gap between them. I worked for 1.5 years after graduating undergrad in the international non profit space, in a variety of roles. During that time, one of the major aspects that I felt drawn to in my work was the need for cross cultural understanding, which is a big part of CCT’s program. Additionally, having been a dancer for the past 20 years, storytelling and engagement were also important to me and I found that through communications I was able to bring that into my professional life. CCT classes, faculty and focus allow me to explore all of those interests in one place and in just a few weeks of class, the program is already showing me new ways to intersect different areas of my life and new professional areas I might want to explore that I didn’t think of before.

What surprised you about CCT? What surprised me was the ability to take a lesson from each of my classes and apply it to almost any area of life I was interested in. Often times I believe MA programs can make you feel boxed in with a very niche focus, but CCT is for everyone.