Ways and Means: Supporting the Future of Public Service
When Omar Yanar MPP 2010 thinks about making a difference in the world, he thinks local. Believing that the most important function of a democratic government is to educate its citizens, he hopes to use his Kennedy School degree to improve education in his hometown of El Paso, Texas. Yanar’s conviction about the power of education stems from his mother, a Mexican immigrant who was the first and only university graduate in her family. “My mother and I were both empowered by education and it is through education that we have empowered others,” says Yanar.
Yanar has also been empowered by the Scott and Isabelle Black Fellowship, which helped make his Harvard Kennedy School experience possible. “I would not have the potential to pursue these avenues of change if I were graduating with a ludicrous amount of debt,” he says. “Mr. and Mrs. Black’s contribution has given me an incredible amount of freedom. I’m now in a position to take some large risks, which are necessary if I want to have an impact on education.”
President of Delphi Management, Inc., a Boston-based firm he founded in 1981, Scott Black knows firsthand the impact fellowships can have on an individual’s life and career. Indeed, he attributes his success in business to attending Harvard Business School, which at that time, he could do only with financial assistance. Black says that providing a fellowship gives him and his wife great personal satisfaction, while helping the Kennedy School remain a competitive choice for applicants.
“I’m well aware that Princeton offers a full ride to students at the Woodrow Wilson School, and that many other good schools of government extend comprehensive financial aid for students,” he says. “To be competitive, we have to afford students in need the means to pursue their dreams in public service.”
Yanar came to the Kennedy School after five years of teaching and community involvement with Hispanic populations in Texas. Describing his fall classes as “life-changing,” he’s integrating his interests in both public policy and education by also taking a class at Harvard’s School of Education. When he returns to El Paso, Yanar will set about achieving his goal to build a charter school together with his mother, who’s currently a director at Upward Bound, a program that assists low-income students in the college application process.
While some students choose a career path on the local level, other HKS fellowship recipients hope to work on an international stage. Before applying to the Kennedy School, lawyer Iulia Cojocaru MPA 2011 had the opportunity to work for a government agency in her native country of Romania. Frustrated by the widespread corruption she encountered on the job, Cojocaru decided to pursue a master’s degree so that she could learn how to effect change in Romania through international channels. She applied for a prestigious Kokkalis Fellowship and was accepted. During her initial months at the school, she says, the Kokkalis Program and its staff welcomed her with open arms, providing her with much needed assistance as she adjusted to a new country. “For me, the Kokkalis Program was everything — they made my hopes and dreams come true,” she says. “Without the Kokkalis Fellowship I would not have been able to study in the United States. For students from southeastern Europe, it’s one of the few options we have.”
In addition to supporting students, the Kokkalis Program serves as a hub for education, research, and outreach activities related to southeastern Europe and neighboring regions. The program was founded in 1977 by Socrates Kokkalis, who serves as the chairman of Athens, Greece-based Intracom Holdings, one of the largest multinational groups in southeastern Europe. “It is very fulfilling to see bright young people meet their dreams and become able to help their countries and the region,” says Kokkalis. “We want to train those who can take on leadership initiatives and improve the lives of thousands or perhaps millions of others by promoting peace and cooperation, efficient and transparent governance, and market economy values.” Since the program began, it has sponsored 42 fellows and has trained nearly 250 public sector and nonprofit leaders from the region through Executive Education programs.
Another Kokkalis Fellow, George Saravelos MPA/ID 2010, has the distinct honor of having maintained the highest GPA of all first-year MPA/ID students at the Kennedy School. For him, the Kokkalis Fellowship has provided a solid education that is not only grounded in rigorous economic studies, but also steeped in practical public policy applications. The greatest benefit of being a Kokkalis Fellow, he says, has been being part of a cohesive group and community, while also engaging with prominent speakers, government officials, and heads of state.
“It’s been wonderful to be so close to public figures,” he says. “I’ve also received so much support from the program. I’m always invited to the center to learn about career opportunities, have policy discussions, and be involved in the process of inviting speakers.”
Contributing to the diversity of the student body, the Kokkalis Program draws from a region of Europe that is often underrepresented at the Kennedy School. In fact, since the program began, there’s been a dramatic rise in the number of students from southeastern Europe. The students return to their region or work on regional issues on an international level. “The vast majority of our fellows with a precious Harvard degree choose to go back to their countries and become part of the government or other public service institutions,” says Kokkalis. “That is what I find the most inspiring experience in the past 13 years since our program came to life, and I think this is where the Kennedy School is doing a wonderful job.”
In addition to offering two fellowships and a named professorship (the Scott M. Black Professor of Political Economy, held by Dean David T. Ellwood), the Blacks have contributed to the Dean’s Council Challenge Fund for Graduate Financial Aid. A new matching gift opportunity, the Challenge Fund provides a 1:2 match on all financial aid commitments of $100,000 or more. The ultimate goal of the fund is to raise $15 million above what the Kennedy School already offers students in financial aid by June 2010. (To learn more about this challenge, please read “Rising to the Dean’s Challenge”.)
“During this recession, my own business was hit, but I knew that the Kennedy School had introduced the Dean’s Challenge Fund, which required a minimum six-figure commitment,” says Scott Black. “Since I’ve been successful in life, I feel I have an obligation to repay Harvard, which accounts for my personal success. The Kennedy School is one of the few places we have that train the best and brightest to ameliorate society.”