Q&A with Megan Schoor, Cohort 14 SDP Fellow Alumna

Megan grew up in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, and moved to Washington in 2014 after completing her Master’s and PhD in Public Affairs at the University of Missouri. After managing research projects for the Division of Child Support for over five years, Megan became a Senior Data Operations Specialist with the Office of Financial Management in January 2020. There, she manages the operations of three longitudinal data systems, leads improvement initiatives to streamline data processes, and promotes best practices for stewarding the data shared with the agency. Outside of work, Megan is active in a local women's philanthropic group, loves crafting, streaming the latest show/movie, watching Kansas City football, and exploring Washington with her spouse and five-year-old Goldendoodle. 

What drew you to the SDP Fellowship? What did you do prior to the SDP Fellowship? How did you get started in the education data/policy field? 

I was drawn to the SDP Fellowship's focus on "education data leadership," a phrase that I had never heard but one that closely aligns with my eclectic background in leading data initiatives and research projects that involve education data. I started in the education data/policy field indirectly while working for a number of federal TRIO programs as a student, and then I gained data collection and policy experience while working at a public policy institute in graduate school. These defining moments and my SDP Fellowship experience have strengthened my leadership skills for supporting my agency's data systems. 

What is the most memorable or impactful moment or experience from your time as an SDP Fellow? 

Listening to the leadership stories of my peers throughout the fellowship was a true highlight. The Consultancy Dilemmas were also a great tool for gathering feedback. Preparing and sharing Consultancy Dilemmas is something that I've  implemented in my team because of how helpful the experience was for me. 

Tell us about your current job.  

Since the fellowship, my role shifted to focus more on the operations and loading of data into the education, traffic, and justice data systems maintained by my agency. I serve as a liaison between my technical colleagues and the data analysts within my agency who utilize the data for research and legislative projects. My typical day is interacting with technical staff and analysts to confirm/relay an important update about a  data set and highlight what documentation I am preparing or needs team review. The most rewarding aspect of my current role is seeing data move fluidly, from the time we receive it to the time it is "research-ready" and available to staff and customers for their analyses. I invest a lot of time and effort into being a supportive liaison to technical and research colleagues, and my peers agree that communication and collaboration across teams has vastly improved. 

What skills did you gain from your time as an SDP Fellow that you find helpful in your current role? 

Greater awareness of helpfulstakeholder engagement strategies, project management frameworks, and more intentionality in communicating the nuances of data to different audiences. 

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?  

When I was a kid, I wanted to be a Disney animator!. 

Please feel free to share anything else relevant or any other fun facts about yourself. 

I love love love crafting, especially making magnets, making stickers, and testing out new  projects with my Cricut machine.