Allison Braden

Name: Allison Braden Picture of Faculty/Staff Member
Alumni Of:
  • School of International Affairs
  • School of Modern Languages
Degree(s):
  • B.S. IAML 2013
Website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonbraden/
Current Job: Freelance Writer, Editor, and Translator
Biography:

Allison majored in International Aelations and Spanish and did a lot of work for Women's Awareness Month while at Georgia Tech. Allison also did an internship in the Americas Program at the Carter Center, then completed a Fulbright fellowship in Bangladesh following graduation. Since then, Allison has worked at a public radio station, taught Spanish at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and become a freelance writer, editor, and translator. Now, Allison freelances full time.

How did Georgia Tech and/or the Nunn School help you get to where you are in your career?

My liberal arts education gave me the luxury of not having to choose a single career. I've been very lucky to be able to follow my interests: I've lived in Bangladesh, Peru, and Argentina, and I've worked in nonprofits, academia, and for myself. My time at Georgia Tech reaffirmed the power of my voice and ideas: I believe I deserve to be heard and achieve what I set out to do. My professors and mentors at Tech gave me the confidence to take myself seriously and to expect others to do the same.

What advice do you have for prospective or current students interested in pursuing your field of study?

If you're like me and have interests that change over time, that's ok! There are so many things you can do with international affairs and modern languages, and it's ok not to know exactly what you want to do with it—or to know and then change your mind a few times. Your career may not follow a straight line, but following your intellectual curiosity will pay off—and probably make you happier.

Is there any other project/activity/accomplishment you would like us to highlight about your career?

My translations have appeared in Asymptote Journal and the Massachusetts Review, and my journalism has appeared in Outside, Columbia Journalism Review, and Garden & Gun. A couple highlights: