Current position and employer: Enterprise Innovation & Strategic Partnerships, Fannie Mae

Hometown: Tampa, FL

Current City: Washington, DC

Why did you choose McCourt? During the admissions process, each and every person I connected with at McCourt was incredibly passionate about the school and that made an impression on me. As to the MPM program specifically, its offerings dovetailed perfectly with my interests as a mid-career professional seeking to obtain more quantitative skills and abilities in order to continue on in my public service-oriented career. The opportunities to get involved on campus within the many and varied centers/student groups were key factors for me, as well.

What was the best part of your experience? McCourt's faculty and staff were truly invested in supportively challenging the students—they provided a course of study that enhanced our abilities as public policy professionals and actively sought to bring the cohort's diverse professional experiences into the classroom to provide real-life context directly applicable to the working world. Additionally, each professor emphasized the intrinsic connection of policy and people in order to always keep top-of-mind the impacts that policy decisions have on society

What internships did you have during your time at McCourt? Research Internship with the Government of the District of Columbia, Office of Innovation & Equitable Development - Research Focus: City Government Stakeholder Engagement

Student organization involvement while at McCourt: McCourt Policy Innovation Lab - Housing Equity Team: Utilized human-centered design thinking in order to generate policy ideas and recommendations for implementation within DC’s communities.

Undergraduate university, degree, and major:  Villanova University, BA in English (minor in Sociology)

Hobbies / Interests: Exploring new cities (and DC!) through photography, trying my hand at creative outlets such as watercolor, hiking, taking in plays and live music, trading off between fiction and nonfiction reads, and spending time with family and friends.