Current MPA Students

A Katy, Texas native, Anna has spent her career in public service working to achieve a more equitable and just society for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. After graduating from Texas A&M University with a B.S. in Special Education, a minor in psychology, and a graduate certificate in nonprofit management, Anna joined the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) in Washington, D.C. While at NDSS, she held several roles that allowed her the opportunity to engage with and lead federal, state, and grassroots efforts to transform domestic policy to better meet the needs of individuals with Down syndrome and their families. Anna’s passion for advocacy and disability rights grew from the friendships she made with peers with disabilities as a young child and was further cultivated during her time teaching high school special education and working with her alma mater’s inclusive post-secondary program. During her first year at SPIA, Anna served as a Social Impact Fellow with New America's Teaching, Learning, and Tech team. This past summer, she interned in the Office of the Secretary at the Maryland Department of Human Services where she supported the agency's efforts to preserve access to critical social services. In her free time, Anna volunteers with PALS inclusive summer camps, sits on the board of the 501(c)3 nonprofit STRIDES, and enjoys traveling, reading, and ballet.

Ema is a Japanese career diplomat. Born and raised in Yokohama, Japan, she graduated from the University of Tokyo in 2024 with a major in international relations. After joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, she was involved in managing and further enhancing Japan-U.S. trade and investment ties. As a member of Japan’s special negotiation team on U.S. tariff measures, she gained firsthand experience in navigating the changing dynamics of international trade. This experience not only strengthened her motivation for shaping Japan’s economic diplomacy but sparked her interest in the evolving relationship between international trade and economic security. At SPIA, she hopes to explore new frameworks for economic diplomacy that enable the U.S., its allies, and like-minded countries to advance shared prosperity, while managing the well-calibrated balance between free trade and economic security. Aspiring to become a leading Japanese and global diplomat in the realm of international economics, she is focused on strengthening Japan-U.S. cooperation, ensuring the U.S. commitment to Asia, and fostering a resilient economic order in the Indo-Pacific. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, watching movies, baking, and playing tennis.

Shreya is originally from Kolkata, India. She graduated in 2021 from the dual B.A. program between Columbia University and Sciences Po with a major in Economics. Prior to Princeton, Shreya worked as a Senior Research Associate at Pahle India Foundation, an economic policy think tank in New Delhi, and interned at NITI Aayog, the apex public policy institution of the Government of India. In these roles, she conducted research and advocacy across a range of policy levers driving the India growth story: trade and industrial development, ease of doing business, MSME development, retail and e-commerce, and women’s entrepreneurship. She has also contributed to the drafting of national and state-level policy frameworks, including the Uttar Pradesh Export Promotion Policy 2025-30. Shreya spent this summer interning as a Data Analyst in the World Bank's Global Poverty and Inequality Team. At Princeton and beyond, Shreya looks forward to deepening her understanding of international trade policy and global best practices in trade and investment promotion. She aims to leverage her research experience to develop actionable strategies that help businesses in emerging economies integrate into global value chains. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, writing creative nonfiction, and solving NYT crossword puzzles.

Ella is a summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs where she earned a bachelor's degree in public policy and a certificate in Spanish. Most recently, Ella was based in London, serving as a policy adviser to the U.S. Director at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). Prior to this role, she served at the U.S. Department of State in several capacities: first as a desk officer at the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor covering the media freedom and political prisoners portfolios; then as a staff officer supporting the Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs; and third as a desk officer covering China-Latin American relations. Before State, Ella spent eight months at the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Special Litigation Section assigned to four case teams. Ella is the recipient of several academic prizes including the Moses Taylor Pyne Honor Prize - Princeton University's highest undergraduate honor; the Myron T. Herrick Thesis Prize - the School of Public and International Affairs top thesis award; and the Class of 1916 Cup - which recognizes the Princeton student-athlete with the highest academic rank. On campus, Ella was an All-Ivy League goalkeeper on the women’s soccer team and proud member of the Cannon Dial Elm club.

Alex is from Denver and will enter the MPA program at SPIA after graduating from the University of Chicago, where he studied economics and East Asian languages and civilizations. Before college, Alex served for six years in the U.S. Navy as an air traffic controller, supporting aircraft carrier flight operations on the USS Harry S. Truman, emergency operations, international flight planning, and Operation Allies Refuge/Allies Welcome. At UChicago, he combined interests in economics, public service, and international affairs through work in private credit, venture capital, entrepreneurship, and consulting. As an innovation fellow at the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, he supported projects related to corporate partnerships, deep technology commercialization, and venture-building. He also served as president of The Brigade, a student veteran organization focused on career development, community-building, and the military-to-campus transition. This past summer, Alex supported small businesses through the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade and the Colorado Small Business Development Center Network. At Princeton, he is interested in economic policy, national security, and the ways public institutions can support inclusive growth and strategic competitiveness.