The Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) at the Ford School

The most important thing that I've gained
from the JSI at Michigan was turning one of

my weaknesses into my strength coming into
the program I didn't think I was the most

confident in my quantitative abilities, but
being at before school and during the JSI

program, I was around individuals who came
from different areas academically and their

backgrounds as well as being surrounded by
professionals who had not only the patience

but the knowledge to instill upon me a sense
of confidence for me to turn my weakness into

a strength.

PPIA has benefited me in a lot of ways, its
allowed me to meet a lot of people from different

walks of life consider careers and training
that I wouldn't have come to otherwise.

So for example in the past few years I attended
a lot of political campaign trainings and

whether or not I actually run for office is
another issue that at least now I know that

I have the skills to do that if I choose to.

PPIA is exclusive but in a very good way.

The people who are in PPIA who have done PPIA
in past want to be of service and want to

help folks who are coming down the line.

So being a member has its perks, has its benefits,
and I would definitely encourage anybody to

apply to the program.

The PPIA program changed my life, change what
I intended to do after school.

I was thinking to be a lawyer and policy just
made a lot more sense you can do a lot more

outside the courtroom in terms of crafting
policy and thinking about how people can be

included in the decision making process throughout
government have tried to sort of like make

a more transparent policy-making process.

From my time in Michigan that I gained a friend
group who has remained with me to this day,

friends that I will have the rest of my life.

I gained a professional network will hope
to carry me through my undergraduate career

and into my early professional career.

And now grad school.

And I've gained a new understanding of public
policy and what it means to work in this field.

Following grad school, I'm weighing a number
of options.

I'm thinking about pursuing more education
specifically in education policy.

I'm also thinking about consultancy, getting
a job.

So you being in PPIA, aside from the academics,
gives you a greater context as to what's out

there for you and the educational component,
you can kinda get specialized in whatever

you want as a member of the PPIA program.

So after graduation, I would love to work
at a university because my path so far has

been diversity in higher education.

I would love to work in the admissions office,
a diversity, equity, and inclusion office

at a university.

So after grad school I'd like to pursue a
career looking at transportation policy specifically

thinking about how public transportation is
something that many communities around the

country don't have access to.

And I think I'm really interested also in
public and private partnerships and how we

can use, leverage assets that are already
exist to basically to proliferate access for

communities that are depending on transportation.

I know that I might work either domestically
or internationally, so right now I'm trying

to balance the two and find where I fit in
best because I've learned a lot about myself

through PPIA and also through my time at the
Ford school.

What I look for in a career and I know that
it's going to take a while to find the best

fit but I know that I am well prepared for
it.