Vanessa Baird has her B.A. in German with University Honors from the University of Houston, where she received the Alumni Scholarship all four years. During her studies at the undergraduate level, she spent one year in Germany at the University of Siegen on a scholarship from the Deutsche Akademische Austauschdienst where she began her studies in Political Science. After receiving her degree, she worked in Venezuela, where she gained experience as a business manager. Upon returning to Houston, she began working toward her doctorate in Political Science. At the University of Houston, she has researched the integration of telecommunications policy in Germany and Europe. She plans to study the politics of European integration. She speaks Spanish and German fluently.