Claire Howard ‘23, a freshman majoring in economics and international relations in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, couldn’t be more thrilled to join LaunchPad this spring as a Global Media Fellow. She loves the passion and determination it inspires in Syracuse students to shape their ideas, while giving them the necessary support and practical skills to do so.
“Though my interactions with LaunchPad have only just begun, I’m already blown away by the support and encouragement the LaunchPad team offers. The very first time I came into LaunchPad I left feeling confident and capable of accomplishing my goals.”
Those goals include creating a connected world where differences are embraced, and ideas are fostered, as well as shaping the environment around her to be full of warmth, community, and growth. A Coronat scholar and a student of the Renée Crown Honors Program, she’s excited for her future at Syracuse University and hopes to work in global development economics. Currently studying German and Arabic, she’s passionate about understanding the richness of diversity across the world and how connections between cultures strengthens our understanding of humanity and enriches innovation. She plans to study abroad in Berlin and in an Arabic-speaking country during her time at Syracuse.
She believes one of the most meaningful ways she spends her time in Syracuse is the work she does with Northside Learning Center in the City assisting in teaching refugees English. “I am consistently shocked and inspired by the hope and resilience found in those who left their families and communities behind to move into a society where they don’t understand the culture and can’t even communicate with others. Every time I see them, they greet me with warmth and call me friend.” She wants to see that hope fulfilled in the communities and world around her.
Howard is a content editor and staff writer for Globalists, a campus magazine dedicated to sharing stories and ideas from unique perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds. She writes the weekly column “Musings,” which is an exploration of shared human experiences through the lenses of different cultures and varying perspectives. She values the magazine because she believes it opens students to share their thoughts from their own individual voice and serves as an inviting and empathetic space for all people and all ideas.
From Atlanta, Howard is continually enamored with the cold Syracuse winter and the beautiful snow it brings. She is enthusiastic about skiing and hiking through the northern nature, exploring the city, creating a home out of Syracuse, and diving into the dizzying array of opportunities for learning at the university — especially with the empowering entrepreneurial force that is LaunchPad.