Maren Nicolaysen
Professional Portfolio and Website
Leading with Stakeholder-Driven Policy
Bringing rural perspectives on economic, budgetary, and public finance 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 summits, non-partisan civic workshops, and policy conferences. As the leader of George Washington University's Women's Leadership Fellows, I expanded the network of and created community for dozens of current and aspiring policy leaders. As the Chair 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 and D.C., 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.