The Master of Public Policy and Global Affairs (MPPGA) program at the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs hosts a mentorship program, matching graduate students with both professors and public policy professional mentors to support their academic and career goals.
MPPGA second year student Jessika Woroniak is a current mentee and reflected on her experiences meeting with her mentor below:
“I hold the view that there is something to be learned from everyone. This is partly why I jumped on the opportunity to participate in a new mentorship program developed by Kerry Ross, the MPPGA Co-op & Career Services Manager. The mentorship program offered by the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs afforded me the opportunity to discover my mentor’s journey and ask for advice that could help me launch mine.
Isobel O’Connell, my mentor, and I have met twice over Zoom thus far and have plans to meet again before graduation. Our conversations have touched on a wide variety of topics including emerging areas for policy, career transitions, professional skills one should master, techniques for preserving our mental health in this virtual world, resources for professional development, and much more. One aspect of our conversations I particularly value is the context Isobel provided to which my learnings could be applied. Through her experience, I was able to better visualize how this newly acquired skillset, that of policy development and analysis, can be applied in the day to day of a professional working in industry. These same conversations also helped me identify areas of growth I can pursue after graduation.
In the hopes of sharing these insights with fellow students in the program, Isabella Pepe, a friend and classmate of mine, and I co-hosted a short interview with Isobel which was shared with the SPPGA community in the form of a podcast. This experience has truly complemented my development through this professional master’s program.”
