We believe all of our students, faculty, and staff have a story to tell. It’s why we launched #PolicyProfile, an Instagram series loosely based on Humans of New York.

In just 2,200 characters, these vignettes provide an inside look at the people who make up our School. Since the series launched in 2017, we’ve featured dozens of your stories. Many of our students say these stories were part of the reason they said “yes” to SPIA.

I’ve enjoyed combing through these profiles, as they often explore unknown facets of our community members. You can learn about our student veterans or our students who worked on humanitarian efforts abroad. Or you can read about why our students chose public service; for many of you, it was an innate call to serve.

As we navigate our remote, digital world, these stories have become even more important. For our faculty and staff members at home, this has given them a way to get to know all of our new students. Of course, it can be a bit daunting to share your personal story, but I encourage you all to participate. Your story has the power to make an immediate difference.

I shared my “story” this past summer with Bianca Ortiz-Miskimen ’22, our summer writing intern who has declared her concentration in SPIA. She wrote a fantastic summary of my work as an economist and academic. Our discussion also gave me a nice break away from my “dean duties,” allowing me to reflect on important moments in my life, like serving on President Barack Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers, and the role my parents played in my education. We often get so caught up in the day-to-day that we forget about these pivotal moments that got us here. These interviews are a nice time to reflect.

I encourage you to check out some of the most recent stories, and let us know what you think of them. If you find yourself ready to share, email extaff@princeton.edu to set up an interview.

Remember: your story is powerful. Please be sure to share it.