Kristen Lovely '18

ILR Experience:

Research Assistant, Institute for Compensation Studies President, Prison Reform and Education Project Cornell Orientation Leader Study Abroad: Spain

ILR

Reflecting on her research assistantship with the Institute for Compensation Studies, Kristen says: “Going after the most ambitious opportunities has given me an amazing job, great relationships with professors, and a rare and priceless experience.”

The Prison Reform and Education Project (PREP) focuses on legislative reforms on campus and driving awareness of the systemic oppression and problems of the American criminal justice system. Through the PREP, I’ve been a teaching assistant at Auburn Correctional Facility, an all-male maximum security prison. It’s been a hands-on, invaluable experience of providing education and support to people who have limited opportunities.

I became heavily involved with the Project when I heard about their initiatives to reduce solitary confinement. This work excites me because it is at the front lines of improving the American landscape financially and academically. Reforming the American prison industrial complex will provide more employment opportunities for people with a criminal history, and the less money spent on prisons, the more money there will be for areas like financial aid and higher education.

Life After ILR

During a semester in Barcelona, I explored a range of business issues, including startups, digital marketing, and business development. I also used the opportunity to travel to over 15 cities around Europe, while also learning a lot about culture and myself by going out of my comfort zone. Throughout my time at ILR, I’ve had several internships in Human Resources and Management Consulting, and I accepted a full-time position at Riovant, a biotechnology company that develops abandoned drug patents. In this role, I’m involved with recruiting and creating multiple programs related to internships, fellowships, diversity and employee mobility to help the company develop properly as it experiences exponential growth.