Austin Carr is currently a second-year student at Columbia University studying Political Science with a primary subfield in American Politics and a secondary in International Relations. In application of his coursework, he spent his first-year summer assisting in the management of a political campaign. His contributions helped the candidate win a seat in their state legislative body. Austin is originally from the rural Vermont town of Fair Haven. His background has driven his interest in the betterment of rural communities through political action, which is why he chose to study Political Science at Columbia. He is also a first-generation college student and the product of a multi-generational family home. His upbringing has led him to focus most of his time on campus volunteering for Matriculate, a program in which college students mentor high-achieving low-income high school students as they apply for college. In the future, Austin wants to work towards making professional opportunities more accessible to rural communities. His hope is that people from rural low-income backgrounds can be better represented within professional roles and that these communities will be respected in the spirit of corporate responsibility.