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Students Abroad: Tara Matthews, MSW ’11 in Israel

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Authored by: Lisa Dugan

Student Life

10/01/13

Tara Matthews, MSW ’11, came to SP2 because it was one of the few programs that encouraged students to conduct independent research abroad. When she took advantage of that opportunity and traveled to Israel to study human trafficking she felt fully supported and prepared.

“SP2 provided the concrete tools that allowed me to design, implement, and evaluate my own research project,” she said. “Irene Wong and Richard Estes were instrumental in helping me plan the trip and map out my work.”

After graduation, Matthews, who now serves as a Presidential Management Fellow, was able to continue her work in human trafficking as part of an assignment with the International Exploitations Crime Unit. Her current assignment with the Department of Homeland Security offers additional opportunities for international travel including a recent trip to Paris to investigate corruption.

“My experiences at SP2 laid the foundation for the work I do now,” she said. “I rely heavily on the skills I gained in writing, quantitative evaluation, and data analysis. I am better able to handle the challenges of professional travel abroad.”