Maren Nicolaysen
Professional Portfolio and Website
Leading with Stakeholder-Driven Policy
Bringing rural perspectives on economic and environmental policy from Wyoming to Washington D.C.
My name is Maren Nicolaysen, I am a Master of Public Administration Candidate at the George Washington University. Through my passion for sustainable and equitable policymaking, I apply a multi-faceted perspective and approach to address real-world obstacles.
Rural, Suburban, Urban, and International Experience
As a 6th-generation Wyomingite, I bring a rural ranching and farming background to international relations and economics studies in Michigan, diplomacy and policy analysis in Washington D.C., and community-engaged learning experiences abroad.
Community Engagement + Policy in Action
I use my intersectional leadership and policy work by organizing student activism summits, non-partisan civic workshops, and equity conferences. As the leader of Michigan State University’s largest women’s and intersectional gender rights organization, I've promoted legislation and brought attention to student-led initiatives to protect abortion access and bodily autonomy in Michigan.
Beyond Michigan, I continue to stay engaged with politics and civics in Wyoming. For two years I served as an intern and then board member of the Cowgirl Run Fund, Wyoming's only non-partisan PAC dedicated to supporting women running for office in the state. In January 2023, I voted as the youngest participant at a county-wide precinct meeting to counter the political partisanship that has swept across Wyoming—and all over the United States. I continue to connect with my peers and Wyoming communities through work on voter and civic engagement.
In the summers between my undergraduate years of study, I advocated for progressive policy and improvements in American-led economic programs abroad on Capitol Hill and at the U.S. Department of State in Washington D.C. All these experiences motivate and direct my approach to community-centric policy work in academia and my career.