Policy interests:
Foreign policy, migration policy, human and national security, education
Hometown:
Cypress, Southern California
Consultancy:
The Clinton Foundation, New York, New York
What is your professional background and why did you decide to pursue your Master of Public Affairs at Brown University?
Prior to joining the MPA program, I worked at the Los Angeles Asylum Office for the Department of Homeland Security, focusing primarily on streamlining the process of asylum case interviews and communicating with internal and external government stakeholders. I also interned at the U.S. Department of State, Office of Foreign Missions, where I will now be transitioning full-time to support the consulate community in the Southwest region of the U.S.
I decided to pursue my MPA at Brown because I knew the university would provide me with the interdisciplinary education that I need in order to take on some of the most challenging, complex, and important problems in policy today. The one-year program was also another appealing aspect. It gives me the opportunity to jump back into the workforce quickly, equipped with all the essentials tools I will need to both analyze and implement policy in my career.
What sorts of career-building skills and knowledge have you gained since joining the program?
I’ve gained communication skills, particularly in learning how to provide information with brevity and clarity. One of the foci in the fall semester has been writing policy memos, where we learned how to deliver recommendations and alternatives in a concise but effective manner to clients and stakeholders.
I’ve also learned the value of placing myself in academic conversations that may not necessarily align with my policy interests. One of the electives I selected was Introduction to Health Policy, which allowed me to quickly develop an understanding of the role of state and federal government in health care reform. Throughout the course, I assessed ways in which the U.S. can deliver high-quality care given the costs of health care, the national economy, and current pandemic. Taking this course not only widened my perspective of U.S. health care policy by comparing the system to other countries, but it also taught me the skill of effectively analyzing complex and unfamiliar topics. Shifting from my comfort zone in policy interests and diving into other fields has contributed to my understanding of how different policy areas can interconnect with one another — better equipping me to identify what strategies may or may not work in policy making.