Tonya Zimmerman, '01

Senior Policy Analyst, Maryland Department of Legislative Services

Albion Major: Anthropology and Sociology

MA, Geography and Urban Studies, Temple University
PhD, Public Policy, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Tonya Zimmerman graduated from Albion College in 2001 with a degree in Anthropology and Sociology, with a primary focus on Sociology. After graduating, she participated as an AmeriCorps VISTA working as a Volunteer Coordinator at Habitat for Humanity North Central Philadelphia. She earned an MA from Temple University in 2004, and a PhD in Public Policy from University of Maryland, Baltimore County, in 2008. Since November 2007, she has worked as a Policy Analyst at the Maryland Department of Legislative Services, particularly working in the area of budget analysis.

With what organizations were you involved as an Albion College student?

• British Eighth Marching Band
• Sigma Alpha Iota

What advice would you give to current and prospective students?

My advice would be to be open about where your degree will lead. Public service and policy can occur in many forms. I was not sure where my degree would lead when I finished at Albion, but through my time in AmeriCorps and later schooling I found my way into a rewarding career in state government.

How have Albion and the Ford Institute prepared you for your current career?

Albion and Ford provided me with knowledge about how to research and think through public policy issues.

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