Meet Emily Bouck West, UM Alumna & Cane2Cane Mentor

Emily Bouck West earned her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Miami in Public Relations and International Studies in 2010. She’s currently living in Washington, DC, and works as a Public Policy Manager at Amazon.

Throughout her career, she has also had the following roles: Deputy Legislative Director at the United States Senate, Director of Policy & Advocacy at Service Year Alliance, and Deputy Executive Director at Higher Learning Advocates.

As an alumna of the U, she joined the Cane2Cane Career & Mentorship Network to give back to fellow ‘Canes through career guidance, mentorship, and shadowing opportunities.

Here is what she shared with us about her Cane2Cane experience.

1. Why did you join Cane2Cane?

  • “I joined Cane2Cane to connect with students and alumni about their academic and career development. I’ve been extremely grateful to the people who took a chance on me throughout my career and opened doors I didn’t know existed, and I hoped that by connecting with students through Cane2Cane, I could help shed some light on different career paths like working on Capitol Hill and in public policy. “

2. Tell us about the impact that providing mentorship to fellow ‘Canes has had on your personal and professional development goals, as well as your life.

  • “I’ve loved connecting with Canes, especially those who are just new to campus and thinking about their majors and how their academic pathways will eventually connect to the career field they hope to enter. Spending time connecting with others and listening to their hopes for their future is incredibly inspiring and energizing, and I’m grateful to have had opportunities to answer their questions and hopefully be a small, positive influence in their exciting journeys.”

3. Tell us about a connection you’ve made on C2C. Who did you connect with and what is one meaningful takeaway you had from this connection or one piece of advice you shared with your mentee during this connection?

  • “In 2020, I had the chance to connect with Laura Bruggeman through the former UShadow program at the U. It was so much fun having Laura virtually shadow my day at work, sitting in on internal and external meetings and discussing different projects. I was lucky to hear Laura’s questions and insights throughout the day we spent together! A takeaway I had from hosting a shadowing experience is that while virtually shadowing someone may seem unorthodox, it is still a really valuable experience for both the mentee and mentor!”

*This Cane2Cane testimonial and mentorship story was shared by Emily in December 2022.*

Want to be a mentor or looking for a mentor? Join Cane2Cane today!

By Keashla Marengo
Keashla Marengo Communication & Entertainment