Meaghan McCabe ‘2012 studied marketing and English, during her time at URI, but always had an interest in politics. She now works as the Communications Director for U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse. 

Why did you choose to study at URI?

Well, my parents are very practical, and URI is a great value. In the end, it really was the right decision for me. I got to know my home state really well and in a totally different way than I had before I went to URI, which was very helpful in working in Rhode Island politics after college.

Did you always have an interest in politics, or was that something that developed over time?

I always had an interest in politics, but it is funny; I didn’t study it. I would read the Providence Journal every morning and then the New York Times. I got very into reading about politics and listening to talk radio as well. So it was always an interest, but I think when I was in college, I didn’t really know that there were a lot of jobs in politics.

What made you choose to study Marketing?

Well, again, my parents are very practical. They really wanted me to graduate with some hard skills that would translate into a career. Marketing is part of the business program. I took a lot of statistics courses, which still help me today when I have to read a poll. I studied management and leadership, and I use those skills every day managing my team. And when you’re responsible for a budget, it’s also important to know your debits and your credits. So while it’s probably a little bit of an untraditional background for somebody in my line of work, it’s been really helpful.

How do you use the skills you learned while you were at URI today?

Along with my marketing degree, I got an English minor, which sharpened up my writing. I also took a lot of studio art classes and those have been very useful. I mean, I won’t call myself a fine artist anymore, but having an eye for design and really training that instinct can give you an edge in politics and public relations. You could put together the world’s greatest report, but if it’s formatted in a way that is hard on the eye, a lot fewer people are going to read it.

Describe your favorite memory from your time as a student.

My sister was a senior at URI when I was a freshman, and that was really great. She was the editor of the Good Five Cent Cigar and stayed in the office very late most nights, so I would come and tag along with her. I also have a lot of wonderful memories related to going to school by the ocean. I used to love to go down to the beach to study. And so I think that’s something that stands out to me as being really special about URI, how much life at the college really revolves around the ocean.

What one piece of advice would you give Harrington students who are preparing to enter the workforce?

I would say a few things. First is that college is really your last best chance to improve your reading and writing skills. And those are going to be so important no matter what you choose to do. It’s also really important to learn time management and figure out how you work best so that when you are out in the workforce, you’re able to maximize your time and keep organized. The last thing I would say is when you’re looking for your first job, try to find a place where you will have a lot of responsibility right away. I think sometimes there’s a temptation to get into the best, most elite-sounding company that might be a very big place with a lot of hierarchy. However, I found that working in a small place like a campaign, or a city hall, or maybe a startup, there is a lot of work that needs to be done and never enough people to do it. So, you can get a ton of experience very quickly when you have a lot of time and you’re really hungry to grow.