Five outstanding master’s students have been named the 2025 Weill Scholars. Weill Scholars Adiah Bailey (MBA/MPP '28), Norma Gay (MPP '27), Mario Vasquez (MPP '27), Love Lundy (MPP '27), and Jenuel Camacho Rivera (MPP '27) are recipients of the prestigious Ford School Rackham Master’s Award (RMA), one of the Ford School’s and the University of Michigan’s highest honors. They are awarded to graduate students underrepresented in the public policy field with outstanding qualifications and tremendous promise. With it, students receive full graduate school tuition, a stipend, and health and dental insurance.
Adiah Bailey (MBA/MPP ’28) grew up in rural South Georgia, where she developed a deep interest in understanding barriers and pathways to economic opportunity. She earned a B.A. in Economics and International Studies, with minors in Spanish and Anthropology, from Case Western Reserve University in 2021. She began her career at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland as a research analyst, contributing to work on housing and eviction policy, labor market dynamics, and international central bank digital currencies. She also published research on poverty cycles and monetary policy. Before coming to the Ford School, she served as a Senior Community Reinvestment Act Analyst at KeyBank, where she conducted CRA performance reporting to ensure bank actions aligned with community needs to exceed regulatory obligations. At the Ford School, she aims to leverage finance and strategy to advance social impact initiatives and equitable economic development, with long-term aspirations to lead a nonprofit. Outside of policy, she enjoys volunteering with youth mentorship organizations like Youth Opportunities Unlimited and loves attending theater performances, collecting art, and traveling internationally.
Norma Gay (MPP/MSW ‘28) is a first-generation high school and college graduate and a dual-degree student in Public Policy and Social Work. Raised near the U.S.– Mexico border in El Paso, Texas, she witnessed firsthand the stark disparities between El Paso and Ciudad Juárez, sparking her passion for addressing poverty, displacement, and inequities in public systems. At the University of Texas at Austin, she earned degrees in Social Work, Sociology, and Urban Studies, along with a certificate in Public Policy and a minor in Government. As a McNair Scholar, she conducted independent research on social welfare policy reform, laying a strong foundation for evidence-based approaches to social change. Her experience as an Archer Fellow and congressional intern for Rep. Veronica Escobar (TX-16) deepened her understanding of policymaking and advocacy at the federal level. She also served as a casework intern at Community First! Village, working directly with individuals experiencing chronic homelessness. Gay ultimately aims to work at the intersection of program analysis and direct service, shaping policy that invests in human potential and community well-being.
Mario Vazquez (MPP ’27) grew up on the U.S.-Mexico border in El Paso, TX. The proud son of Mexican immigrants, he is the first in his family to be educated in the U.S. His upbringing and commitment to uplifting underserved communities led him to the Ford School, where he is preparing for a career in local government. He earned a B.A. in science, technology, and society from Stanford University in 2013 and an MBA from The University of Texas at Austin in 2021, where he received the Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence. Before joining the Ford School, Vazquez taught in K–12 classrooms and was the Director of Admissions at a Hispanic-serving high school. He later worked in brand marketing at General Mills and most recently at The University of Texas at El Paso, where his efforts helped boost Hispanic enrollment and expand access to higher education. Upon graduation, he plans to return to El Paso and apply his policy skills to support the region’s growth. In his free time, he enjoys competing in triathlons, reading, and watching movies.
Love Lundy (MPP ‘27) is a first-year MPP student with a passion for food, agriculture, and land policy. From Edgewater, New Jersey, and Triana, Alabama, she is interested in Black rural southern foodways, their role in the Great Migration, and their continuing impact on food policy. Similarly, Lundy is curious about demographic studies and how paying closer attention to foodways can create more representative food policy. Before coming to the Ford School, Lundy assisted the Spelman College Food Studies Program and served as a tea barista in Atlanta. She obtained a B.A. in Political Science at Spelman College. There, she served as an inaugural Food Studies Scholar and a Social Justice Fellow, where she directed the Blue Record Podcast. In April, she co-authored a policy brief, “From Aisles to Doorsteps: Is Grocery Delivery a Solution to Food Insecurity or a Perk for the Privileged?”, with sociology PhD candidate Erykah Benson, whom she met during her time at the Ford School’s PPIA JSI. Lundy enjoys cooking and eating with her loved ones, expressing herself through music, and crafting the perfect cup of tea.
Jenuel Camacho Rivera (MPP ‘27) grew up in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and graduated from the University of Puerto Rico, where he obtained a B.A. in Political Science with an emphasis in Comparative Politics. He served as a director of volunteers at the Pablo José Campaign for Resident Commissioner during the 2024 election cycle. He served as a legislative intern at the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico, drafting bills and reports regarding corruption. He has served as an AmeriCorps member, and in summer 2024, he began the Junior Summer Institute from the Public Policy and International Affairs Program at the University of Washington. This experience ignited his interest in economic development and social policies. Before coming to Ford, he worked as a district intern for the Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico and looks forward to advancing more equitable and just social policies.
Read more about the Weill Fellowship.