“Grinnell College in Iowa has a program for undergraduates in global development studies where you're required to do an internship in a developing country. That was the litmus test for me on whether I really wanted to enter public service. I worked for an NGO in Ghana for three months on fish policy; the government was subsidizing fuel prices for fishermen so they could stay out longer and catch enough fish for a sustainable income, but they weren't actually receiving those subsidized prices. This NGO conducted surveys and wrote reports for the European Union about why this wasn't happening and where the disconnect was. They had me design all the surveys, go around the country to distribute them, and then write the analysis. That exposure was one of the golden moments in my life. I really found something that I was passionate about and got the chance to pursue it. To be a good policymaker, you need an element of resilience, persistence, and grit. You really need to push yourself. My peers at Princeton SPIA are absolutely inspirational across the board. Seeing other people constantly working really hard in their respective fields, where everyone has niche interests, and is trying to help somebody in some way, fighting so hard for that, it makes you want to fight harder, too.”
Top photo: Courtesy of Gabriel Stephan MPA ’27