Elizabeth Koenck

Elizabeth spent her fellowship summer in Pretoria, South Africa working with the South African Department of Basic Education through the gui2de research team. During the fellowship, played a central role across multiple stages of the research process, from instrument development to field implementation and data analysis. She developed and coded survey instruments in SurveyCTO, produced and quality-checked large-scale piloting materials, coordinated logistics across two provinces, and led English-based fieldwork training in collaboration with local teams. One of her most meaningful moments was working directly with students during school visits and engaging with education researchers from across Africa, Europe, and North America. Through this hands-on experience, the fellowship significantly strengthened her technical skills in data management, quantitative analysis, and applied research design, while also deepening her understanding of how education research is implemented in real-world policy settings.

“My internship with Gui2de and the DBE was my most meaningful professional experience and it has profoundly impacted how I think about what I want to do in the future. Most concretely, it helped me to realize that I do want to pursue a career in international development or humanitarian work, as I find both the mission and work inspiring and engaging. Moreover, it provided me with an idea of what such a career might look like, however I choose to pursue it.”