A year after applying and a few months into their HGSE journey, we asked members of the Education Policy & Analysis program to reflect on what drew them to this program. Here are their reflections, as well as their experiences finding community here at Harvard.
Kelly Ho (she/her)
Kelly recently completed her undergraduate degree at the University of British Columbia in Political Science with a minor in Law and Society. She has an extensive background in curriculum design, program leadership and team management. Her experience is primarily in debate and speech education in both the private and public sector and I mostly worked with students in K-12. Post HGSE, she is hoping to pursue a career in higher education. She developed a passion for higher ed after conducting a research paper with Dr. Nora Isacoff from Columbia University on the impacts of nationalism and Chinese international students’ motivations to pursue studies abroad primarily in the United States. She is passionate about education equity and promoting a safe learning environment for students from all walks of life!
Attending HGSE has been a dream of mine since I was in the ninth grade. The first time I researched programs at HGSE, the current Education Policy and Analysis program was still known as the “International Education Policy (IEP)” program and I recall bookmarking admissions requirements before I even knew the difference between a Master’s and a Bachelor’s degree.
In the seven or so years between my first time researching programs at HGSE until now, I have graduated from high school and earned my Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of British Columbia. It feels surreal reflecting on the journey that led me here today, taking classes in the very program that I dreamed about just a few short years ago.
I chose EPA because the program fit with my interest in the intersections between education and politics. I especially wanted to take A801 with Professor Fernando Reimers to learn and research the nuance and impacts of global politics on international education trends. Today, as a student in A801, I enjoy the rigorous course model which allows us to apply the knowledge we learn from class directly to policy analysis on a real world problem as we partner with clients from organizations such as UNESCO. The ability to directly apply the knowledge and theories from lectures to real-world projects is something I have never encountered before. It is incredibly empowering to realize that what I am learning in class can actually be useful and is preparing me for a future in policy and governance.
Additionally, I chose EPA because of the community and through my interactions with the admissions team during my application process. I distinctly recall the first day I stepped into the front doors of Gutman in March 2024 for Admitted Students Day, where I was greeted by the friendly faces of administrative and faculty members such as Carrie Conaway and Andrew Ho, who expressed actually remembering reading my application package as I shared details about myself in our quick introductory conversations. I realized at that moment that HGSE and EPA truly care about their students and I knew that I would be joining a truly exceptional and welcoming home away from home if I chose EPA at HGSE for my graduate journey – and I was not wrong in the slightest!
Keith Stahl (he/him)
Keith is a master’s student in Education Policy and Analysis. He comes from sunny California, where he was a student at Pasadena Community College before transferring and graduating from UCLA ’24. He has a passion for education in many forms from teaching to tutoring to higher education. In his HGSE journey, he is focusing on Higher Education and how he can support and make equitable spaces for undocumented and LGBT student populations alongside working internally in Higher Education institutions. He is working with the Harvard Kennedy School’s Enrollment Services this 24-25 school year and is excited for what’s ahead.
My decision to apply to the EPA program came from personal experiences I witnessed throughout my educational journey. For instance, the public school my mother worked at created expansive support programs and additional teacher assistance when COVID-19 emergency funding came in through a state of emergency. However, after a trip to the school with a group of fellow UCLA students learning more about the school’s structure and environment, we soon discovered many programs were set to be cut due to the end of the emergency declaration. Social workers, college readiness programs, and additional ELA/Mathematics support programs would be cut by the next school year. It came to my mind, a question, why must a catastrophic, world-changing event occur for these students to receive adequate funding for resources? I wanted to explore and investigate how issues such as these can be changed to truly create an equitable experience in education.
A memorable moment I’ve had in my classes so far that has affirmed my choice to study EPA has been engaging with potential issues I would face as a policymaker. For the EPA Program Core Experience (PCE) course here at HGSE, we consistently practice writing policy memos for various scenarios one might encounter when placed in a position to recommend a certain policy. It challenges you because we are only given very limited choices and have to choose one, based on the research we are presented with. Even when you write the memo, and choose the policy you think is right, you can’t help but also second guess yourself, which is a dilemma a policymaker can have consistently. It truly helped me think critically about the choices and possibilities I would have to make if I continued onto this line of work for a career.
It is never easy leaving a place you have called home for a considerable time. This is the first time coming east, after being westward in California for the majority of my educational life. Connecting to the broader HGSE and Harvard community has been something that has scared me, only because I have this constant fear that I wouldn’t be doing it correctly. I was of course wrong, and realized that is not the case for HGSE. I feel considerably connected to the community here. I was able to make friends here very easily. Everyone is so kind and supportive of one another I always feel like I am saying hi to someone I know in class every day. Additionally, HGSE does an amazing job helping students find an internship and or job. I attended the internship fair HGSE hosted while browsing The Hub (HGSE’s job search engine) for any job opportunities to pursue while I am here at HGSE. I managed to find the position I am currently working at with the Harvard Kennedy School on Harvard’s Student Employment Office website but all resources listed nevertheless were helpful in my job hunt.
To conclude, if I had one piece of advice to share with applicants who are considering HGSE/EPA, it is to not underestimate yourself. I originally did not intend to apply to Harvard, as I thought to myself that I was not going to get admitted. After breaking through that mindset, I applied, still not all that confident, but putting my best foot forward through my personal statement and additional written materials. I got that email that a decision was ready, of course, I thought “Well don’t be disappointed”. To my shock, I was admitted, and here I am, thriving, which can be you too, just don’t give up on yourself.
Debora Menier Nunez (she/her)
Debora is a Puerto Rican and Dominican author, public servant and digital marketing consultant. She is currently pursuing a Master’s in Education Policy and Analysis at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. As the daughter of a former public school teacher she has been committed to ensuring access to education and raising awareness about available opportunities through education. Debora graduated Summa Cum Laude with a dual Bachelor’s in Business Administration majoring in Entrepreneurial and Management Development and Human Resources with a minor in Psychology from the Inter-American University of Puerto Rico, Arecibo. She became the first Truman Scholar of her campus and went on to pursue the Truman-Albright Fellowship in Washington, D.C.
I chose to apply to the Education Policy & Analysis Program at HGSE because it had the perfect combination of rigor and flexibility. It provides a strong foundation of courses, but it also provides opportunity to pursue courses that are relevant for your chosen future path. I am very grateful that I have had the chance to learn from professors that have had real-life experiences on the fields we are interested in. They have connected us with relevant literature but most importantly they have brought theory to practice and shown how it can be applied to real-life situations.
There is something very unique about the way HGSE has built out it’s Master’s programs. During foundations, the Leading Change course made me take a hard look at my potential path within the school and identify what I really wanted to do, not what I thought I needed to do. It really shifted the way I looked at my degree and made me evaluate courses to take under a different light. One of the things I really wanted to learn was how to communicate what I was passionate about in a way that could resonate with others and connect with the audiences so they too could see themselves in my storytelling. That is exactly what I have learned to do thanks to Professor Timothy McCarty’s course Real Talk: the Art and Practice of BRAVE Communication. Discovering that story waiting to be told along with my classmates and seeing all our growth in confidence and skills to tell stories that matter has been the highlight of my courses so far.
As a HGSE student I’ve had many opportunities to connect with the broader Harvard community. I currently serve as one of three HGSE Representatives at the Harvard Graduate Council with Rothsethamony Seng and Larry “Queens” Malcolm Smith Jr. It has been great to see that in the Harvard Graduate Council we have strong HGSE representation, as we have Cynthia Alvarado as Chair of Finance and Victor Lee as Chair of Advocacy. My hope through this role is supporting broader HGSE participation of all the available opportunities for students on campus and online.
Additionally, I serve as one of three Co-leaders of the Christian Fellowship Affinity Group with Melinda Seyram Njibiche and Martina Medina Amezcua. I had the distinct honor of Co-Founding the HGSE Creators Student Organization, along with Mudit Sharma to inspire creative expression.
One piece of advice for applicants is to attend all the information sessions you can. Connect with professors, students, alumni, and programs on campus – you never really know what is possible here until you do. Research resources, professors, centers, and all possible opportunities you may be able to pursue while you are here.
Be brave and take a leap of faith to believe there is a spot here for you. If it works out, WONDERFUL, if not, don’t take it personal. In many instances we don’t make the cut to the programs we apply to because they are looking for a specific mix of backgrounds or other factors that have nothing to do with us. Your value and worth as a professional are not tied to that one yes or no!
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