McCourt School fund reduces financial strain of unpaid internships
A new grant from the CVS Health Foundation will expand existing financial assistance provided to graduate students seeking valuable experiential learning and internship opportunities.
Each year, the McCourt School of Public Policy’s Fund for Experiential Learning provides financial assistance to more than 30 graduate students pursuing meaningful professional experiences and unpaid internships. With generous support from the CVS Health Foundation, McCourt will award eight additional stipends, particularly for military-connected students and those interested in veterans’ affairs and health policy.
Selected students will receive $3,000 stipends to help alleviate financial strain and ensure equal opportunity across the McCourt School community.
“The Fund for Experiential Learning is vital in helping future policy professionals connect with internships that deepen their understanding of real-world challenges,” said Briana Green, senior director of career development and alumni engagement at the McCourt School. “By providing equal opportunities through financial support, we nurture diverse leaders ready to make a genuine impact in policy and advocacy.”
Isabela Walkin (MPP’25) is bridging her passion for public policy and statistical analysis as an intern in the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.
Second-year student Isabela Walkin (MPP’25), whose long-term partner is a Coast Guard veteran, is the first stipend recipient supported by the CVS Health Foundation.
“Investing in the education of future policy professionals is essential for fostering innovation and addressing the complex challenges in health care and public policy. We are excited to support military-connected students like Isabela Walkin, as well as all students, to help alleviate financial burdens and empower a new generation of leaders,” said Samrat Khichi, executive vice president, chief policy officer and general counsel at CVS Health.
Walkin is an intern in the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), a division within the Office of Management and Budget under the Executive Office of the President, where she works on the statistical policy team. Her role includes reviewing Information Collection Requests (ICR) from other federal agencies, coordinating projects administered by the Interagency Council on Statistical Policy and developing materials to generate public awareness of the U.S. federal statistical system’s activities.
At OIRA, Walkin is learning how the federal government uses knowledge of survey methods and statistical analysis best practices to ensure that agencies collect high-quality data that accurately reflect the U.S. population and its needs.
“Good data is critical to sound, evidence-based policy in any topic area; it’s the perfect complement to my coursework at Georgetown,” she said.
Before attending the McCourt School, Walkin earned a B.A. in economics and social policy analysis from Rice University and worked as a management consultant in the financial and energy industries in Houston, Texas.
As an undergraduate, Walkin developed a passion for criminal justice and urban policy. She enrolled in “Crime, Punishment, and Society,” a sociology course that “fundamentally changed” how she perceived the criminal justice system and its role in shaping U.S. society.
“My interest was solidified when I got to conduct research my senior year evaluating the effects of a prisoner’s reentry program in Harris County Jail that targeted veterans,” she said.
After graduating in May 2025, Walkin plans to pursue career opportunities in the federal government focused on improving the incorporation of data and evidence into the policymaking process.