The summer between an MPA’s two-year life at the Woodrow Wilson School is as unique and impacting as the passion to public service that have brought them back to school. To give you a glimpse into the lives of a few of our students, we asked five volunteers to share the summer internship experience and the impact they had on the organizations and areas in which they lived.

You received the acceptance letter from the graduate school of your dreams – now the reality of having to pay for another round of tuition, books and living expenses sets in. Over the past 10 years, I served as the director of the PPIA Junior Summer Institute at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. In that role, I often discussed graduate school opportunities with students and I was very surprised that many of them did not ask about financial support for graduate study. Some students shared with me that they were not considering graduate school because they did not have a means to pay for it. Or more specifically, they ruled out certain institutions because they feared the assumed financial burden.

What I enjoy most about my job is that I get to inform students that graduate school is attainable at many of the top public policy and international affairs graduate programs, because a number of them offer financial awards based up merit, need, and other criteria. Additionally, there are external fellowships and scholarships available for graduate study. But, you have to do your homework. 

Financial awards vary by each graduate institution. Our financial aid policies at the Woodrow Wilson School are designed to minimize loan indebtedness. We offer both need and merit-based scholarships for tuition and living expenses. More than 90% of students receive financial aid. See more at: http://wws.princeton.edu/admissions#sthash.i4JqB2Xf.dpuf

For students considering other graduate programs in public policy or international affairs, I advise them to look into the following fellowship programs and partnerships:

AmeriCorps, the Corporation for National & Community Service        

APSIA, the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs

Charles B. Rangel Fellowship

Fulbright U.S. Student Program

Fulbright Foreign Student Program

Public Policy and International Affairs Fellowship Program

Teach for America

Thomas Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship

Thomas Pickering Graduate Foreign Affairs Fellowship

Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation

Graduate students, faculty and staff from the Woodrow Wilson School (WWS) raised $13,000 for the Isles Youth Institute in Trenton, N.J., during the Sixth Annual Woodrow Wilson Action Committee (WWAC) Service Auction Dec. 6, 2013, in Robertson Hall. Money raised by the event, organized by WWAC Community Service co-chairs Samuel Clark and Kate Fritzche, both second year master’s students, will go toward helping at-risk youth.

All auction items were donated by WWS students, faculty and staff and more than 50 local businesses. Among the silent auction items were cooking and baking lessons with WWS graduate students, art from around the world, gift certificates to local restaurants and metalsmithing and painting lessons.

Items from the live auction included WWS Dean Cecilia Rouse’s parking spot for one month; lunch for the winner and four friends with former WWS Dean Anne-Marie Slaughter ’80; a tour of Trenton with the founder of the Isles Youth Institute, Marty Johnson ’81; and a behind-the-scenes tour with seven friends at the Princeton Art Museum with its director.

"Woodrow Wilson School students are dedicated to changing the world in a meaningful and positive way," said Rouse. "By organizing and participating in the event, they demonstrated their commitment to service in and around the community."

Fritzsche and Clark said they were eager to choose the Isles Youth Institute as this year’s beneficiary because of their experience volunteering last year with an after-school program in Trenton.

“We greatly enjoyed the people we met in the community,” said Clark. “So, we were adamant about wanting to continue partnering with organizations in Trenton.”

The Institute, a community development and environmental organization, fosters self-reliant families and healthy, sustainable communities. One of its programs is an alternative school that provides education, green construction training, essential life skills and the chance to renovate homes in Trenton to high-risk students.

“We hope this money will help facilitate activities with the Isles’ students and their mentors and supplement the soft-skills and vocational training the Isles students receive as part of the standard curriculum.”

“I’ve never before seen such energy, creativity and collaborative spirit in Dodds Auditorium,” said Johnson, who attended the event and introduced the live auction. “The fund will benefit young Trenton students who were once disengaged, and are now reengaging in their own education. We deeply appreciate the efforts to build that bridge between Princeton and Trenton.”

“The service auction is an extension of our efforts, a time when we celebrate our year with our colleagues, while expressing our appreciation for the work done by the Isles staff,” said Clark.

Among the students involved in planning this year’s event were second year master’s students Shell Castiglione, Hana Freymiller, Virginia Poggio and Steve Ross; and first year masters students Emily King and Jamie Morgan.

All photos courtesy of John Houston

“What is the queer community like at Princeton?”

It’s one of the most frequent inquires I receive when I tell people I went to the Woodrow Wilson School. And questioners are often surprised when I reply that Princeton is consistently ranked among the Top Universities for LGBT Students by Campus Pride.

Princeton takes its LGBT community very seriously. In recent years, reinvestment from the community has made the University a well-resourced and dynamic place to be a queer graduate student.

Princeton may never match the social offerings or dating pool of a large city, but evidence of a diverse and robust queer community can be seen in all corners of campus. From well-funded programming to a dramatic increase in “out” students to the high profile 2013 “Every Voice” LGBT Conference, Princeton is not the homogenous community it once was.

The Princeton LGBT Center is a key factor in the growth of the queer community. Established in 2005, The Center works to create a safe and supportive academic environment through educational opportunities and advocating for the needs and concerns of LGBT students.

On a personal note, Princeton’s queer community enhanced my grad school experience immensely. LGBT organizing was a vehicle to connect with the larger University community – from other graduate students, to staff, to undergrads. In some cases I served as a mentor, in other cases as a mentee. Those relationships are some of the most lasting and meaningful from my time at WWS.

So make the plunge because the queer waters are fine and we could always use more swimmers. With a network that includes an Oscar-nominated film producer, an Ambassador and a sitting Congressman, you’ll be in good company!

For the past nine years at the Woodrow Wilson School, I have participated on the admissions committee, read and evaluated applications for admission to our Junior Summer Institute program and served on the selection committee for the Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship Programs, a collaborative effort between the United States Department of State and the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation.

This is my first official season reading applications full-time in my new role as Graduate Admissions Officer since transitioning from a student affairs position at the School last fall. I have truly been inspired in reading so many incredible applications for admission to our Master in Public Affairs (MPA) program.

I have been engrossed in the wonderfully written personal statements of volunteer work in developing countries and the sacrifices made by individuals taking unpaid internships and minimally paid teaching assignments. I have been transported to Columbia, Peru, South Korea, Kenya, El Salvador, Cuba, Israel, Detroit, California, Washington, D.C. and many other countries and cities by visionaries who are determined to make change and dedicate their careers for the public good.

It is very encouraging to know that so many people are optimistic about making global change for the common good, through their governments on the local, state and federal levels. Many applicants aspire to implement policy through the U.S. Foreign Service, the United Nations, national and international nongovernmental organizations and nonprofit organizations. Applicants want to achieve these goals by reforming health care and education, reducing poverty through economic analysis and grassroots advocacy and participating in private-public partnerships.

The WWS Admissions Committee has its work cut out over the next several weeks in deciding between so many talented and compassionate individuals (final decisions will be sent out by mid-March). I am confident that many of the applicants will contribute greatly to the world, regardless if they are trained at WWS. Thus, I am grateful for the opportunity to have “met” so many wonderful change agents.

Second-year Masters in Public Affairs (MPA) and Masters in Public Policy students shared with peers and Woodrow Wilson School administrators the findings of their Policy Workshops during a Policy Workshop Symposium on Feb. 6, 2014. 

When I started the Master in Public Affairs (MPA) program at the Woodrow Wilson School, I had no intention of getting involved in WWS’ student government, called the Woodrow Wilson Action Committee (WWAC). I had not done anything like that as an undergrad and I figured plenty of my classmates would be far more politically inclined than I am. I am not a terribly competitive person, so the idea of running for office—albeit for our school’s rather non-threatening governing body—felt a little uncomfortable.

But something clicked when I arrived on campus. I liked the idea of serving my fellow students, advocating for student interests, helping to keep things running, building community and making sure that women were well represented in our school’s leadership positions. I could not justify not doing something to make that happen. So I threw my name in the hat to represent the first-year MPA class during our first semester at the Woo, and I ended up serving in that position with another first-year MPA student, Meghan O’Toole.

When it came time for our class to take over WWAC (pronounced WOO-ack), I felt much less ambivalent about remaining involved. I found such satisfaction in serving our school community and it seemed natural to continue. Meghan and I ended up being elected co-chairs in January 2013; we just finished our one-year term at the start of the Spring 2014 semester. (For the sake of continuity, each term straddles two consecutive academic school years. The first-year MPA representatives don’t always end up transitioning to co-chairs—it just worked out that way with us.)

There was an assortment of responsibilities in leading WWAC. In a nutshell, we coordinated efforts to liaise with the WWS administration on issues of school and university policy, academics, and other concerns and desires of students, and built community among students, faculty and staff. This is definitely a team effort; there are about 33 positions that students can fill on the WWAC board. And, if you’re counting, that’s almost half of a typical MPA cohort!

Meghan and I recently completed our 2013 Annual WWAC Report, and I am very proud of the things our team accomplished. We fostered substantial student involvement in determining our coursework, hosted a great fundraiser for a local non-profit and helped students, faculty, and staff bond together in friendship. I am grateful for the ways I grew as a leader and I love that someday I will look back on my time at WWS and know that I made a difference. 

Pictures are way more fun than words, so here are a few of my favorite photos from 2013 WWAC events. And when you get to the Woo, jump on in! Take it from me—it’s totally worth it. 

Welcome!

We would like to welcome our newly admitted MPA, MPP and Ph.D. students! We look forward to meeting you all at our hosting program on April 6, 2014.

Here's what you should expect:

• You will receive an email from our Student Hosting Committee shortly that will include the agenda and details on how to register for our hosting program.
• Within the next 24 hours, you will gain access to your electronic offer of admission and contract from the Graduate School, which will include your financial aid information.
• You will also soon receive your departmental admit packets in the mail; the materials within will provide more information relevant to you as a newly admitted student to the Woodrow Wilson School.
• Lastly, please be sure to join our Google Group; you should have received an invitation to the email address that you used when applying to WWS. The Group is a great way to ask questions of current WWS students, introduce yourselves to your fellow admits and to keep up to date with the happenings surrounding hosting season.

Once again, welcome to the Woo and congratulations!

-The Graduate Admissions Office

Lisa Duffy
Graduate Admissions Assistant

I started in the Graduate Admissions Office in September 2013, but I am not new to Princeton University. I grew up and attended college in New Jersey and earned a degree in music education. I accepted a position in the University’s Undergraduate Admission Office after graduating from college and worked there for almost 11 years. I took an “extended” leave to have my two children and be a stay-at-home mom, while traveling and experiencing life in different parts of the country. I’ve lived in North Carolina, Texas, California and Florida. My journey has brought me back to New Jersey and to Princeton. I really enjoy working at the Woodrow Wilson School where I manage the Junior Summer Institute admissions process as well as advertising and marketing for the Graduate Admissions Office. I also support the MPA, MPP and Ph.D. admissions processes.

Melissa Lyles
Graduate Admissions Officer & Social Media Strategist

One of the many important skills you will acquire at the Woodrow Wilson School aside from the quantitative curriculum is to learn who is who at WWS, despite the fact that many of the administrators at WWS share either the same first or last name.  I am Melissa Lyles – sometimes referred to as the other Melissa.  The upside is that you only have to remember the name Melissa once.  The downside is that we may both answer you at the same time and occasionally you may send an email to the wrong Melissa.  So let me tell you a few facts about me that will hopefully differentiate the two Melissas in the Admissions Office from one another.  Prior to starting my role as a Graduate Admissions Officer/Social Media Strategist in September 2013, I spent ten years as the director of the Graduate Program Office and director of the PPIA Junior Summer Institute. I am responsible for reading all graduate applications for admission and traveling throughout the country to talk about WWS to prospective students. One of my favorite things about the job is learning about social media without having to ask by 12 year old daughter!

Melissa McGinnis
Office Manager & Technical Administrator

I have been with the WWS Graduate Admissions Office for over 15 years, serving as the Office Manager and Technical Administrator for the past seven years. Prior to becoming Office Manager, I was a Graduate Admissions Assistant who loved answering prospective student questions and helping people complete their applications. During my time at WWS I completed a M.Ed. in College Student Affairs. My favorite part of the job is maintaining relationships with admitted students after they arrive and supporting them in their journey as they pursue their careers in public service. “Seeing application forms turn into actual people who come by the office to thank you for your help during the application process is very rewarding.”

Vance Stephens
Graduate Admissions Assistant

I joined the Woodrow Wilson School in September 2013 as a Graduate Admissions Assistant. My favorite part of the job has been learning the art and the science that go into creating a well-rounded and dynamic class of students. I’ve been at Princeton in varying capacities for 10 years, each experience building upon the preceding one and providing insight for the next. As a high school student I participated in the Princeton University Preparatory Program after which I matriculated at Princeton, majoring in Sociology with certificates in African American Studies and Urban Studies. After graduating, I worked at the Princeton-Blairstown Center and in the Office of the Dean of the College. Now at Woody Woo, I coordinate information sessions, recruitment and admit hosting weekend and work with Melissa Lyles on social media strategy and implementation. I am also a resource for prospective students with questions about the MPA, MPP and Ph.D. graduate degree programs and application processes. If you send an email to the office, I am probably the person replying to your message, and if your phone call is greeted with a smooth and baritone “Woodrow Wilson School—Graduate Admissions,” rest assured, it is I, ready to answer any of your questions.

John Templeton
Associate Dean for Graduate Admissions

I am from northern California and I love mountains, oceans and waterfalls.  Over the years home has been Madison, W.I.; Indianapolis, I.N.; Southborough, M.A.; Bangor, M.E.; Hancock Point, M.E.; the San Francisco Bay Area; Walla Walla, W.A.; Princeton, N.J.; and Red Sox Nation, Fenway Park. By crisscrossing the U.S. many times, I have visited 46 states and made international forays to other countries in Latin America and Europe. As a mono-linguistic individual, I welcome any and all opportunities from international students to remedy this shortcoming. My favorite activities are hanging out with students and alumni, spending time with my eight grandchildren, dabbling with painting, photography, gardening and anything outdoors.  If curiosity is your passion, Google my name on the WWS website and learn more. Working in secondary and higher education is incredibly rewarding, a “wicked good" gig, and the variety of people, cultures and lives led before and after WWS by our students and alumni are inspiring.  We are a place with a purpose: public service.  This institution is a public good and well worth the trek to visit and experience a vibrant, challenging, exciting and special community.

“So what are you doing next?”…

It’s the dreaded question that looms as you’re nearing the end of a diplomatic posting. After 7 years working across three UK government departments in two countries, I realized that I wanted a new challenge. Busy jobs had left me little time to think strategically about what I'd learned, what I wanted from my career, and what I might do next.

With this in mind, I applied to the MPP program (designed specifically for mid-career students). And I was lucky enough to be selected as part of the 20-strong class of 2014.

After spending a sunny April weekend in Princeton (WWS holds a hosting weekend for newly-admitted students), I was convinced. And I haven’t regretted my decision to take up the place for a moment since.

We began the program with a six-week bootcamp to prepare us for the rigors of academic life, giving us a grounding in economics and statistics. Whilst it was daunting to dust off my (admittedly rusty) quantitative skills, it was definitely time well spent.

Beyond the blackboard, we got to know each other as a group. Our cohort has a fantastic mix of experience: from physicians to philanthropists, scientists to soldiers, we span the range of public service in the US and internationally. I’ve learned just as much (if not more) from conversations with other MPPs as I have in class - they are unfailingly inspiring, and refreshingly grounded despite their amazing track records.

When it comes to the classroom, a big advantage of the MPP program is that it’s individually tailored. I’ve taken courses in everything from social psychology and financial management to international economics. Classes are pretty small, and professors accessible – which sets WWS apart from many other programs.

Outside the classroom, we've done everything from bowling to baseball games (which, as an international student, is an essential part of my cultural education!), barbecues, happy hours, and museums. Princeton also attracts a stellar cast of speakers on every possible topic - there's always a stimulating discussion going on somewhere. It's been fantastic to be surrounded by such a motivated bunch of students and faculty, all dedicated to the school's motto: 'In the nation's service, and in the service of all nations'.

As for what’s next, I am still firmly committed to continuing my career in public service after graduating in June. And I'll do so with greater understanding of a diverse range of public policy challenges, and a wonderful network of  colleagues (and more importantly, friends). As to specifics, it's a case of watch this space...

There, we sat. In this beautiful parlor of a Brooklyn brownstone, where original rich wood paneling contrasted with the sleek modern marble lines, eight of us Woodrow Wilson graduate students joined Woody Woo alumni of color to do what Woos do best. Eat. And talk. We trekked from Princeton on a (finally) warmer—but drizzly day—to the home of a Woody Woo alumna of color, who wanted us to meet established leaders actively engaged in lifting communities of color and to share our experiences with each other. We moved elegantly through our conversations, deftly moving from a cerebral economic discussion on technological progress and the “hallowing out” effects to the lessons of leadership, and how our identities inform these lessons. In this brilliant Brooklyn brownstone, we did what Woos do best. Eat. And talk.

This moment belongs to a larger narrative at the Woodrow Wilson School, steeped in the Students and Alumni of Color (SAOC) Symposium that has been a fabric of student life at the WWS for almost two decades. SAOC brings together WWS alumni and students to support the social and political development of communities of color by harnessing our role as policymakers to affect positive change in our communities.

I came to the Woodrow Wilson School in 2012 ready to take on the new challenges of the infamously quantitative curriculum--the economics, statistics, and econometrics that I had avoided as an undergraduate in my career. I also recognized how different this experience would be as an Asian American who grew up in California and went to a large, public institution. Diversity there met seeing familiar faces who understood the feeling of otherness, and who could lend support to each other in trying times—ironically, diversity there emphasized similarity in the face of adversity.

This time, I knew it would be different. A small intimate class that affords us access to unimaginable resources also means that we may not always see that familiar face. But in the midst of the challenging first semester, I drew inspiration at SAOC from our alumni who traveled great distances to mentor current students of color and to tell us, “You’re here for a reason. It wasn’t a mistake. And we’re here to help you get through it.” For me, SAOC means building a strong community for students of color and transcending familiarity in favor of a fervent shared pursuit to lift our communities from persistent inequities by using our training as policymakers to affect sustained change.

As we made our way back to Princeton, I felt re-energized, prepared to cross the finish line to graduation. After all, we’re here for a reason. It wasn’t a mistake.

I’m not the most quantitatively inclined person. I took only one economics class in college and was just a few courses shy of a quadruple major in Sociology, Spanish, Black Studies and History. After college, I taught social studies and coached soccer at a high school in Mississippi and then worked at a food pantry in East Harlem. One of the more surprising aspects of coming to Princeton was that I wasn’t alone in the lack of quantitative experience.

Don’t get me wrong, I listen to economics podcasts and occasionally read Wonkblog and the Economix blog on The New York Times’ website. I was good at math in high school, but simply didn’t prioritize taking any related courses in college (oh my youthful naiveté).

Make no mistake, the Master in Public Affairs program is quant-heavy. Fortunately, the Woodrow Wilson School offers a track for people like me: B-track! In our core statistics, econometrics and micro and macroeconomic courses, the B-level courses target those of us without a strong quantitative background. The micro and macro courses each approximate two semesters of undergrad-level coursework. Only halfway through our econometrics class, I’m now fairly competent at conducting statistical analysis in Stata and now feel far more qualified to consume and critique research performed by more serious scholars.

Surprisingly, I’ve enjoyed these classes. They have given me a stronger framework in which to orient my opinions on the antipoverty policies and programming that most interest me. While some of the problem sets have been quite challenging, professors encourage (and sometimes enforce) working in groups. Puzzling through micro homework with friends made for some great bonding experiences.

Less than a year ago, I couldn’t imagine ever being confident enough to offer my own ideas on what a set of data said about a particular policy. I’m now preparing to go and do exactly that this coming summer, and I feel ready.

One of the first decisions you’ll be faced with at Princeton—after you decide which drawer will be the silverware drawer, select the color of your new comforter from Ikea and pick which intramural sports to sign up for—is which track of quantitative classes to take.

 As Dan’s earlier post mentioned, quantitative classes come in three flavors at the Woo. B-track classes are designed for students who haven’t taken a math class in awhile and D-track classes are intended for students who are strong in calculus and may even have a linear algebra textbook from their undergraduate days lying around. C-track classes are aimed at those of us who fall between those two categories, as they require only a fluency in basic calculus. (Or the ability to regain a fluency in basic calculus after shaking the cobwebs off your calculus book during Math Camp.)

 For me, C-track was a perfect fit. The last “official” math course I took was AP Calculus in high school, but my quantitative side kept busy with plenty of chemistry and physics classes in college. After college, I worked for a health policy think tank where I spent a good chunk of time playing in Excel. 

 I came to the Woodrow Wilson School to strengthen my economic and statistical skill set. I wrote papers on the health professions workforce without a deep knowledge of how labor markets function, and analyzed the results of regressions without really knowing what was going on “under the hood.”

 For me, C-track statistics classes provided the perfect level of challenge. All WWS students learn Stata, but C-trackers take econometrics a step further by learning what goes on inside the black box of regression.

 C-track microeconomics uses calculus to help us more thoroughly understand the concepts taught in class. We don’t spend much time lost in theoretical proofs, but rather use tools like optimization to solve utility maximization problems.

 In C-track macroeconomics, we regularly discuss current journal articles that use real-world data to support—and sometimes challenge—the concepts in our textbook. (Although I’ve heard that my B-track friends do this too.) I’ve learned tools in C-track statistics that allow me to understand this research in a way that I couldn’t before grad school.

 If you’re still trying to decide between B-, C-, and D-track classes, the Woodrow Wilson School offers a special “shopping” schedule for the first week of classes to help you decide. For most people, the decision becomes clear pretty quickly.

 But, as for the decision between the green or blue comforter, or sand volleyball or ultimate Frisbee - you’re on your own!

Meet the Woodrow Wilson School graduate faculty, most of whom have dual appointments with other departments within the University. Through their innovative research and expertise, WWS faculty members equip students with the analytical skill and knowledge necessary to take on complex policy issues.

“My door is always open.” That’s what I like to tell our graduate students at the Woodrow Wilson School. As director of Master in Public Policy (MPP) Career Services and assistant director of Graduate Career Services and Alumni Relations, I develop and execute the career services strategy for our mid-career graduate students and provide individualized career coaching for all WWS graduate students. It’s a job I really enjoy because the students are smart, energetic, courteous and prepared to take on new jobs after graduation, often at more senior-levels than the jobs they had before they arrived.

The Office of Graduate Career Services (OGCS) plays an integral part not only in the admissions process, but also in the career development planning for each student. For example, Ann Corwin, director of Graduate Career Services, is an active member of the Master in Public Affairs (MPA) Admissions Committee and I am an active member of the MPP Admissions Committee. Even before students arrive, the OGCS is thinking of ways to help them with their careers. Once new students arrive on campus in the summer, the OGCS is already prepared to work with and help them begin the career transition process.

On the second day after arriving on campus in the summer for Math Camp, new WWS graduate students meet with the OGCS to learn about our services and the resources we offer. From that point on, there is continuous interaction with the OGCS throughout the degree program. For instance, between August and September, Ann and I meet with every new MPA student. Yes, we schedule 70 individual meetings so that we can get to know each student personally and professionally and each student can get to know us. The meetings are fun and informal, similar to a meet and greet. In addition, Amy Craven, OGCS Office Coordinator, provides each student a brief tour of the Graduate Program Office (GPO) and OGCS. Amy's tour is designed to make sure that students know with whom to speak when they have questions. Amy also introduces the students to many of the important career-related resources. Since MPP students earn their degree in one academic year and several MPP students return to their previous employer (for example, military officers, U.S. Foreign Service officers and international governments), the career coaching process used by the OGCS is tailored to their needs. First, during their first week on campus in the summer I meet with all new MPP students as a group to provide an overview of the OGCS and to inform them of the career transition and job search process and timeline. Next, MPP students complete the initial phase of a Career Development and Job Search Plan. Then, in September I conduct one-on-one meetings with MPP students who will be seeking new employment after graduation. During these meetings, we discuss initial career plans and how the MPP degree prepares the students for their next job. Finally, throughout the academic year, I provide training tailored to meet both the individual and group needs of our students, in addition to more focused and student-specific career planning, career advice, alumni contacts and much more.

The OGCS welcomes every student to take advantage of the full range of services we offer. Our support of the students starts before they arrive and continues after they graduate. We are even available for alumni career assistance after students begin their post-WWS employment. We enjoy every phase of our work. 

One of the exciting features of our Master in Public Affairs (MPA) program is a 10-week-long summer internship during the summer between the first-and-second-year of our two-year program. Each student is required to intern at a professional level for an agency or organization that is relevant to their course of study and career interests. 

From the moment students arrive during Math Camp, Ann Corwin, director of Career Services and Alumni Relations and Cherena Walker, director of Master in Public Policy (MPP) Career Services and assistant director of Graduate Career Services and Alumni Relations, meet individually with each student to begin an ongoing discussion about interests and provide suggestions for appropriate summer internship opportunities to explore.  

“Over the past 40 years I have assisted first-year students to find professionally relevant and rewarding summer internships to fulfill their degree requirement,” Corwin said. “The process is different for all students depending upon their interests. Some application deadlines are very early (e.g., Department of State or other internationally-focused agencies requiring security clearances) – while some domestically-focused agencies do not even advertise their internships until the spring.”

Corwin added, “But, even when we have to go down to wire-waiting for a security clearance to be granted, all students have been able to fulfill their requirement each year. When the students return in the fall, they have a renewed sense of confidence, additional skills and enjoyable work experiences to add to their resumes, and a more complete understanding of why they are learning the things that WWS is teaching them.”  

Our 64 first-year MPA students will conclude their first-year requirements with summer positions all over the world with U.S and Foreign governments, international organizations, non-profits and NGOs.

Here are a few of the exciting organizations our students will be interning at this summer:

U.S. Government (international):

• USAID, Kampala, Uganda
• U.S. Embassy, Hanoi, Vietnam; Moscow, Russian Federation
• U.S. Mission to NATO, Brussels, Belgium

U.S. Government (domestic):

• U.S. State Department, Washington, D.C.
• Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
• U.S. Department of Defense
• U.S. Department of the Treasury
• Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions
• White House, National Economic Council
• U.S. Office of Management & Budget

State & Local Government:

• Mayor’s Office of Policy Planning & Coordination, Philadelphia, P.A.
• National Governors Association, Washington, D.C.
• NYC Department of Education, New York, N.Y. (Education Pioneers)
• Office of the Mayor, Oakland, C.A.
• Multinomah County Commission, Portland, O.R.

Non-Profits/Non-Governmental Organizations:

• Imagine Schools, Arlington, V.A.
• Center for Education Reform, Bethesda, M.D.
• Maine Center for Economic Policy, Augusta, M.E.
• PolicyLink, Oakland, C.A.
• Bureau of Government Research, New Orleans, L.A.

Foreign Government:

• Western Cape Premier’s Office, Cape Town, South Africa
   

International Organizations:

• UNHCR, Geneva, Switzerland
• UNDP, Maseru, Lesotho
• U.N. Economic Commission of Europe, Geneva Switzerland
• WHO, Geneva, Switzerland
• International Finance Corporation, Nairobi, Kenya
• World Bank, Washington, D.C., Jakarta, Indonesia, Tirana, Albania

In June 2013, I welcomed the 27th cohort of rising undergraduate seniors from across the country to our Public Policy and International Affairs Junior Summer Institute (PPIA/JSI) program for students interested in public policy. Thirty –five students, hailing from 28 colleges and universities, were here for the seven-week program.

2013 PPIA/JSI CLASS - WOODROW WILSON SCHOOL OF PUBLIC & INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

At the welcome event, one student stood out from the crowd because he was impeccably dressed, despite the summer heat and humidity. Just like his wardrobe that evening, Steeve Simbert’s application to JSI stood out from the other 492 applications because of his remarkable story of survival and perseverance and his passion for his native country, Haiti.

On January 10, 2010 Steeve was on the second floor of a fourth story building in Port-au-Prince with his SAT tutor. Suddenly, the building started to shake. Outside, people screamed, buildings fell down and fires broke out. The office building Steeve was in collapsed. Amidst the chaos and rubble, Steeve pulled his tutor from the debris and carried him through the streets. To complicate matters, the tutor suffered from a heart condition, which required Steeve to locate and administer the teacher’s medicine. By some reports, the 7.0 magnitude earthquake killed more than 100,000 people.

Nearly a month after the earthquake, Steeve and his twin brother moved to the U.S. and worked retail jobs to survive. He earned a full scholarship at St. Thomas University in Miami, and the fall semester moved to Washington, D.C. for an internship in the U.S. House of Representatives with the sponsorship of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) and Wal-Mart.

The internship opened Steeve’s eyes to the world of politics and public policy. During a presentation from graduate public policy schools about academic programs, Steeve met a recruiter from the Wilson School who told him about the PPIA/JSI program. Even though he was a sophomore and thus not eligible to apply, Steeve made a mental note of the program for the following year. Compelled by his love of politics and his sense of Washington being at the “center of the world,” Steeve transferred to Georgetown University and interned for Majority Leader Senator Harry Reid.

When he became eligible to apply for JSI, Steeve’s commitment to public service made him a strong candidate. He said even though he did not know much about public policy before entering the program, the Wilson School’s JSI program was attractive because it offered courses taught at different levels based on applicants’ previous coursework.

Steeve said the PPIA/JSI program was rigorous and challenging, but he understood that a strong foundation in quantitative skills was critical to becoming an effective policy leader.  The program offered courses such as statistics and economics that are designed to bolster quantitative abilities.

Alice Muehlhof, data analyst and lecturer at the Wilson School, taught Steeve introductory statistics and said he came to her class ready to work. “Steeve had not taken a math class since high school, and he never had had a statistics class, but he was determined to master the material,” Muehlhof said.  “He was always on time for class, took advantage of the tutoring sessions and came to my office for help frequently. Even though it was incredibly difficult for him, he refused to admit defeat and kept persevering. There was steady improvement throughout the summer and he left Princeton committed to taking a statistics class at his university.”

Muehlhof added, “Steeve is an extraordinary young man. He has had many roadblocks placed in his path, but he is not angry or bitter, just determined to make a better life for himself, his family and the people of Haiti. He is my hero!”

Following the completion of the JSI program, Steeve followed the advice of his JSI evaluation and took additional statistics and economics courses at Georgetown. He also studied abroad at Sciences Po in Paris while interning at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Overseas.

In May 2014, Steeve learned he was one of two recipients of the Nas Scholarship Fund, a scholarship set up by the rapper Nas and the Seattle-based company Koru to prepare students coming out of college for the workforce.

Steeve will complete his undergraduate studies with a study abroad program at Cape Town University, South Africa this fall.  He then plans to pursue a graduate degree in international affairs.  Ultimately, he wants to run for public office in Haiti to connect Haiti and the international community and reform the way international aid is invested in his home country.

We would like to welcome the 28^th cohort of students to our Public Policy and International Affairs Junior Summer Institute (PPIA-JSI),the largest diversity program in the United States that promotes the inclusion and full participation of underrepresented groups in public service and advances their leadership roles throughout the U.S. and abroad.

The program helps prepare undergraduate students for graduate study and careers in public policy and international affairs by providing participants with skills necessary to become public policy leaders and educators: microeconomics, statistics, writing, public speaking and organization and time management.

Coursework includes seven weeks of policy-related classroom instruction, including a policy workshop on either a domestic or international policy issue. As part of the program's culmination, students present a comprehensive final report on a current policy issue that encompasses the skills and knowledge they have gained.

This year’s program at the Wilson School will feature 31 students from 24 colleges and universities in the United States. Students will come from 17 states and six countries — Afghanistan, Brazil, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Liberia and Peru — and represent 25 undergraduate majors.

Founded in 1980, PPIA-JSI has played a critical role in addressing the lack of minority professionals in leadership roles in the public, nonprofit and international sectors. The analytical and leadership training provided in the program has allowed many of our alumni to pursue diverse careers, including in all levels of government, in academia and in the private sector. 

The program was initially funded by the Sloan Foundation and Ford Foundation from 1980 to 1998. Since 1999, universities have continued funding this important academic program, which has increased the graduate and workforce diversity pipeline nationwide. Today, more than ever, increasing the diversity of individuals in public service is of paramount importance.  PPIA-JSI has made a significant impact in increasing the number of students who pursue graduate school and ultimately careers in public policy and international affairs.

The four PPIA-JSI programs are hosted on the campuses of the Carnegie Mellon University, Princeton University, University of California, Berkeley and University of Michigan.  Now in its 33rd year, PPIA has over 4,000 alumni and is expanding its reach by establishing new partnerships with national organizations and working with over 30 of the top public and private universities in the nation.

*See related story - 1995 PPIA-JSI alumni current Director of the WWS PPIA-JSI program.