Our Community

In Conversation.

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"I've found that being willing to try new things, even if they involve risk, has made a big difference in my work."

Angel Padilla, MPA '13

Francis Torres MPA ’22

Community Profile April 16, 2021

Francis Torres MPA ’22

“Hurricane Maria was a historic, once-in-a-century storm that decimated my home island of Puerto Rico. At the time, I was working as a communications professional in Washington on issues that had nothing to do with PR. The deep sense of not knowing what might happen, and seeing the place where I grew up in turmoil, shifted my priorities. It eventually led me to join the federal affairs team of the Center for a New Economy (CNE), a Puerto Rican think-tank. At CNE, I worked to communicate research insights to media and advocacy audiences in D.C., with the goal of informing policymakers and shifting public opinion on policy issues like the island’s debt…

Rob Gordon

Community Profile April 14, 2021

Robert L. Gordon III MPA ’89

Using new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) to improve humanity is at the core of Robert L. Gordon MPA '89's work. As chief growth officer of SBG Technology Solutions, Gordon is using a multi-sector approach to bring the latest technologies to the masses. Throughout his career, he’s also learned how to be a thoughtful and strategic leader. He boils it down to three main tenets: know who is around the table (and their stakes and stands), be inclusive and transparent, and give people a voice. Finally: When in charge, take charge. He shares his story, as well as some memories from his time at the Princeton School of Public and…

Oladoyin Phillips ’14, Ph.D./STEP

Community Profile April 09, 2021

Oladoyin Phillips ’14, Ph.D./STEP

“A few years ago, I was in a job I didn’t like. It led me to spend a lot of time reflecting, and I became more spiritual. In that process, I realized I had to take responsibility for my life. When you are a ‘good student’ (like I was as a @princeton undergrad) you’re rewarded by your teacher, grade, awards. The external motivation propels you, but it left me without my own sense of direction. In that old job, I realized it’s not a boss or anyone else who will elevate or direct me. When I’m depending solely on others, I feel powerless. I have to go for what I want, for myself. Now I’m trying to do that as a Ph.D. student in STEP at @princetonspia…

Jacob Rob ‘21

Community Profile April 02, 2021

Jacob Rob ‘21

“I’m in #ROTC. There’s 40 of us on campus, and if I’m honest, I’m viewed differently when I mention this affiliation as I think some people misunderstand those who choose to serve. It’s fair to criticize the policy of the military given its past. But I think the people who criticize service members are a bit misled. It’s not the soldiers they should have a problem with; but rather the policy and the politicians who send soldiers to war. As a SPIA major at Princeton, I’ve learned a lot about the realities of foreign politics and some of the more regrettable engagements of the military’s past. However, this did not drive me away from military service…

Philippa Haven MPA ’22

Community Profile March 31, 2021

Philippa Haven MPA ’22

“When academics and policymakers employ economic theory, they typically assume a two-parent household, which is not the case for millions of Americans, including me. I was raised by a single mother, and I think this slight difference from the prescribed ‘American norm’ compelled me to critically engage with power structures, and ultimately led me to be interested in public policy. My first job was as a cashier at a grocery store, and I was struck by the privilege I had as a 14-year-old with no doubt in my mind that I would go to college, working with many people who were there full-time and had never attended. Learning about the overlap and…

Community Profile March 18, 2021

Annamie Paul MPA ’01

Annamie Paul is the leader of the Green Party of Canada. She is the first Black Canadian and first Jewish woman to be elected leader of a major federal party in the country. Paul is the daughter of immigrants who arrived in Canada from the Caribbean in the 1960s. She engaged with public policy from an early age. At 12, she was a page for the Ontario Legislature and later served as a page for the Canadian Senate. She was the founder and executive director of the Canadian Centre for Political Leadership from 2001 to 2005 and has worked in civic engagement and international affairs positions, including in political affairs in Canada's Mission to…

Susan Ragheb MPA ’22

Community Profile March 12, 2021

Susan Ragheb MPA ’22

“I grew up very aware of my identity as an Arab American woman. When I lived in Egypt, I was the American girl. When I was in America, I was the Arab girl. I was born in New York, but my family and I lived in Egypt for 10 years. We weren’t supposed to be there long, just a few months, but then 9/11 happened. When we came back to the United States, it was such a hostile environment — many of our family friends were questioned by the @FBI. So, we returned to Egypt. I still remember when @barackobama came to speak when I was living in Cairo. He said hello in Arabic. I watched his speech, completely obsessed. I remember being fascinated by the way the…

group of people talking

Community Profile March 10, 2021

Jasman Singh ’23

I used to have a somewhat romantic idea of policymaking, believing top-down policy would create the most dramatic changes. I’ve always felt that making effective rules depends on a shared understanding of the subject being regulated. My first lesson as to how policymaking really works was through my high school AP Gov. class. We worked on a bill that aimed to create transparency in Civil Rights-era ‘cold cases’ — where the families of victims of racial hate crimes never found out what happened to their loved ones. This ‘class project’ passed both chambers of Congress, and was signed into law by President Trump right before the bill was set to expire…

Nathan Eckstein

Community Profile March 04, 2021

Nathan Eckstein ’16, MPA ‘20

Nathan Eckstein was most recently the political and outreach director for a U.S. Congresswoman in Western Illinois who sought reelection to a fifth term. This spring, he’ll be joining the U.S. Department of State as a foreign service officer. In this Q&A and podcast episode, recorded just after the 2020 election, he discusses life on the campaign trail (in unprecedented times) and what lies ahead for his career. He credits the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs and the Scholars in the Nation’s Service Initiative (SINSI) for providing him with support along the way. Princeton Policy Podcasts · Grist for the Mill (Nathan…

María Luisa Zeta Valladolid MPA ’21

Community Profile February 26, 2021

María Luisa Zeta Valladolid MPA ’21

“I was curious about social issues from an early age, long wondering why some people had so little while others have a lot more. I am a first-generation college student, born and raised in a small town in Northern #Peru. Both of my parents worked hard to make ends meet and to provide my sisters and I with opportunities to achieve our fullest potential. Resilience is the one word that would best describe my childhood. Today, I’m most passionate about contributing to a more equitable and just world. I believe it is our responsibility to use our talent to close the widening gaps that keep many people in the periphery of what we call ‘development.’ I…

Carissa Gonzalez ’07 MPP ’21

Community Profile February 23, 2021

Carissa Gonzalez ’07 MPP ’21

“When 9/11 happened, I was just a kid. It was a shocking moment for all of America, making us question who we think we are as a people, what we want to be as a nation, and how other countries perceive us. I didn’t know yet how I would serve, but I knew in that moment I wanted to serve my country. When I was a first-year undergraduate student at @Princeton, I attended a panel @PrincetonSPIA hosted on careers in international relations. An alum who was a foreign service officer described what he did; and I said, ‘Ah! THAT’s what I want to do!’ Even though he wasn’t in the military, he was on the front lines, meeting people from different cultures,…

Dalia Katan '15

Community Profile February 18, 2021

Dalia Katan ’15

Dalia Katan '15 is the CEO and founder of Presently, a social commerce startup helping people celebrate special occasions more meaningfully while also empowering conscious consumerism. In this Q&A and bonus podcast episode, she gets into what motivated her to create Presently and how she uses her Princeton School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) training to be an effective leader in today’s changing world. Princeton Policy Podcasts · Becoming a Problem Finder (Dalia Katan '15) Q. What is/are the most important policy issue(s) facing us today? Katan: It’s hard to pick one. It’s a pretty busy time for us Americans. I think a lot of…

Ikenna Ugwu

Community Profile February 12, 2021

Ikenna Ugwu MPP '21

“As I was leaving my South Sudan office, I heard gunshots. It was on the eve of the war in 2016, and I was working for the @worldfoodprogramme, the U.N.’s frontline agency in the fight against hunger."

Alaina McGowen

Community Profile February 05, 2021

Alaina McGowen ’21

“In a weird way, protesting against the School has actually brought me closer to it. I was a student activist in the ‘Change WWS’ effort, joining shortly after the recent graduates drafted the petition."

Nausheen Rajan MPA ’22 JSI ’15 and family

Community Profile February 04, 2021

Nausheen Rajan MPA ’22 JSI ’15

“When I was 16, I participated in a camp called Seeds of Peace. It convened students from Israel, Palestine, Pakistan, India, Egypt, Jordan, the U.K., and the U.S. I was part of the American/U.K. delegation. As young kids representing our countries, we engaged in daily dialogue on conflicts in South Asia or the Middle East. Talking about a conflict that affects the daily lives of many students at the camp left me pondering the role I have to play as a Muslim-American child of immigrants. I remember one Israeli boy and one Palestinian boy who said to each other, ‘I may never agree with you, but I’ll always take the time to try to understand where you…