Q: Name, Graduation Year, Majors & Minors
My name is Fiona Schicho, and I graduated in May 2019 with a Bachelor of the Arts in Anthropology. I’m proud to say I graduated summa cum laude with departmental and university honors. I started out at Butler as a dance performance major. After I quit dancing my sophomore year, I absolutely fell in love with Anthropology.
Q: What was your first job out of school? What are you doing now?
Since graduating, I have worked with Indiana Clinical Translational Sciences Institute on community-based health research in the “Worlds Apart” study, conducting focus groups to understand barriers to health, worked as a clinical research recruiter, and served a term as an AmeriCorps VISTA for the IndyEast Promise Zone on the Near Eastside of Indianapolis. In this role, I ran the Quality of Life Survey, organized the affordable housing committee, and performed data analysis and program evaluation. On the side, I have volunteered with hospice and domestic abuse hotlines, trained as a birth doula, and worked as a server and babysitter. I am currently a graduate student at Boston University, earning a Masters in Social Work and a Masters in Public Health. I am concentrating on Macro Social Work and Health Policy and Law, and I intern at Boston Children’s Hospital with the Pediatric Advanced Care Team and the Bereavement Program. I am also the NASW (National Association of Social Workers) MA student ambassador for my school! We are currently advocating for the passage of the SUPER Act- a bill to increase diversity in the field by breaking down barriers to a social work education.
Q: How has your degree prepared you for your job? Is there anything you learned from your classes that you still use in your current profession?
I can’t speak highly enough of the professors in the History, Anthropology, and Classics department! I have always been interested in global health and medical anthropology, so I took many courses with Julie Searcy, an incredible professor who became my thesis advisor and mentor. My thesis experience was incredible – I attended a Congolese Pentecostal Church in Indianapolis, a refugee community, and interviewed the community on their experiences in the U.S. There are so many skills I learned during my time at Butler that I have utilized in these roles, but I would say the most important are the ability to read and synthesize information, ask thoughtful questions, engage in cross-cultural dialogue, and present data in a comprehensive, accessible way. My ultimate career goals involve working in the maternal health field and reproductive justice. I’m interested in researching and advocating for policies that improve maternal health equity and maternal mental health.