McCourt School welcomes six distinguished McCourt Scholars

Reflecting on her own experience as an Afghan national who arrived in the U.S. in 2021, McCourt Scholar Marzia Azizi (MIDP’26) hopes her international development policy education helps her drive meaningful change for immigrants and women in developing countries. Before attending the McCourt School, Azizi was a project manager at U.S.-based immigration advocacy nonprofit VECINA, overseeing initiatives to assist Afghan newcomers in navigating the legal immigration process. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science, public administration and law from the American University of Afghanistan.

While helping with research on the federal fiscal policy team at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Sarah Calame (MPP’26) found her niche in tax policy, working toward the institute’s mission of informing and advancing efforts to expand economic opportunity through federal and state policy. As a McCourt Scholar, she hopes to continue exploring how the tax code can be leveraged to reduce poverty and inequality. Calame has an A.B. in economics and public policy from Brown University.

After witnessing the deleterious effects of a failing political system in her home country of Venezuela, Gabriella Cova (MPP’26) aspires to advance economic opportunity and inclusive development. Since completing her B.A. at Northeastern University, Cova has researched democratic transitions and economic policy in DC’s think tank and multilateral spaces. She joins McCourt from FSG, a social impact consulting firm, where she designed evidence-based strategies for organizations tackling systemic inequities. Gabriella hopes to apply her expansive international experience to contribute to equitable policy solutions.

McCourt Scholar Scott Oakley (MPP’26) hopes to utilize his education to explore the characteristics of mutually beneficial trade policies while applying his experience navigating trade in a post-Brexit world. Oakley previously led the development of border and trade strategy in the United Kingdom’s Cabinet Office, where his work on Brexit gave him insight into how trade and economic policy can affect societies from the bottom up and the importance of an ambitious, globally minded trade and security regime.

Following his upbringing on a small subsistence farm in rural Kenya, Josahn Ochieng’ Oginga (MS-DSPP’26) was inspired to launch a farmers-driven nonprofit, Harmonized Enterprise for the Less-Privileged Farmers, which provides free online support to smallholder farmers in Southeastern Africa through agricultural extension services. As a graduate student at the McCourt School, he hopes to continue to prepare for an impactful career addressing economic development and sustainability with equal priority in the Global South. Oginga holds a B.A. in economics and agriculture from Berea College.

Coming to McCourt from Mathematica, where he assisted in evaluations of various types of human services programs, Johnny Willing (MPP’26) hopes to develop the skills to build evidence for social policies that create a more equitable economy. His previous research ranged from social protection programs to employment interventions for people with disabilities. Originally from Mechanicsville, Virginia, Willing holds a B.A. in economics and linguistics from the College of William & Mary.