HAVERFORD, Pa. –Fencer Leila Braun '16 is spending her summer working at Research for Action in Philadelphia through the Haverford College Center for Peace and Global Citizenship (CPGC) summer internship program.

The CPGC is an academic center whose mission is to integrate innovative scholarship and responsible civic engagement. Through its myriad programs, the Center serves as a bridge between the classroom and the world at large around issues of peace and social justice.

CPGC's internship programs have been developed to widen and deepen Haverford's connections with social change organizations and to encourage a collaborative approach to pressing social, cultural and ethical concerns

"I first became aware of the CPGC as a prospective student," said Braun. "It was one of the most exciting aspects of Haverford to me, because it embodied so clearly the college's Quaker values as well as its commitment to connecting theory and action. My initial excitement about the CPGC led me to participate in their Social Medicine Seminar during my freshman year."

Braun's experience in the Social Medicine Seminar caught her interest in the ethics and implications of social research, and inspired the Haverford fencer to seek a related internship for the summer after her sophomore year.

The CPCG is funding the work of 64 students overall in the summer of 2014 and Braun is among a handful of Haverford student-athletes in the mix.

Braun's host organization is Research for Action, an education research nonprofit in Center City Philadelphia. "I'm working as a Research Intern, with a specific focus on qualitative methods," stated Braun. "I've assisted with three research projects so far, with most of my time dedicated to one pertaining to college access initiatives across the United States. Specifically, I'm examining the success of the Obama Administration's Social Innovation Fund in expanding and improving six college/career access nonprofits."

Braun, who is set to begin her third year as a member of the women's fencing team, explained her work has many components, from keeping the researchers up-to-date on current academic literature on the subject to actually conducting qualitative analysis with data collected from interviews and surveys.

"As an Education minor interested in nonprofit work, the funded internship program has permitted me to both contribute to an incredible organization while also complementing my academics at Haverford," reflected Braun. "At my internship, I love that I am able to apply the skills and content from my coursework at Haverford to a new professional setting. I was fully expecting some of the content from my Education courses to be relevant to my work at Research for Action, but was more surprised that my many courses in literary analysis have proven to be just as useful."

 An English major, Braun feels her ability to analyze texts is directly transferable to much of what goes into qualitative social research. "My literature classes have developed my ability to quickly summarize data, as well as to easily identify trends and inconsistencies," said Braun. "I've never doubted that Haverford would prepare me well for the workforce, but I was surprised to find how easily my academic skills could transfer into a professional setting."

Braun, a native of Seattle, Wash., said the internship experience has also strengthened her connection to the city of Philadelphia. "It has provided me with an introduction to Philadelphia's nonprofit sector, which is knowledge that will be valuable as I continue to study urban education throughout my final two years at Haverford," shared Braun. "Many of the researchers at Research for Action received their doctorates at the University of Pennsylvania and Temple University, so I also feel a deeper connection to other educational institutions in the area."

Voicing her gratitude to the CPGC for the incredible opportunity, Braun has enjoyed becoming more familiar with Philadelphia in free time on the evenings and weekends.