By Maleni Palacios MPP 2027
During my first year of the Master in Public Policy (MPP) Program, I learned that graduate school is as much about the people as it is about the classes. The friendships, mentors, communities, and experiences you invest in ultimately shape your journey just as much as the coursework. My first year taught me to be intentional with my time, embrace the tradeoffs, and make room for the opportunities that matter most. Here are some of the key lessons I learned during my first year at Harvard Kennedy School.
Graduate school requires tradeoffs
Graduate school is a lot different than undergrad. Rather than testing out different subjects to choose a major, graduate school allows you to focus on the thing you care most about—for me that is United States domestic policy. The complication is that you now have an abundance of commitments demanding your time.
I always tell prospective students that there are three main things you can choose to focus on: academics, networking, or socializing. Realistically, you can only do two at a time, so you will have to make tradeoffs. The good news is that if you’re thinking about a two-year program like the MPP, you will have four full semesters to find your balance.
Community matters as much as coursework
During my first semester, I decided to focus on networking and socializing. After completing my Master of Business Administration (MBA), where academics and the case method reigned supreme, I wanted to spend my MPP experience focused on positioning myself for a career in the public sector and making connections with my classmates. To do this, I leaned into the state and local government community on campus. I became finance chair for the State and Local PIC, where I was responsible for managing our budget. I also applied to the State and Local Economic Development Seminar (SLED) through the Taubman Center for State and Local Government, where we met monthly as a cohort and hosted economic development leaders from across the country.
Leadership is learned by doing
I am also an Equity Fellow with the Center for Public Leadership, so I spent a lot of my time attending cohort retreats and monthly meetings, as well as leading the U.S. Latinx Caucus as a co-chair. Together, we focused on programming that brought our community closer together and celebrated our culture. One of my favorite memories was co-sponsoring Quorum Call during Hispanic Heritage Month and hosting an art exhibition that highlighted members’ stories. Did I mention we also brought Harvard’s mariachi band, Veritas?!
The best learning often happens outside class
Now, my first year wasn’t all networking and socializing. One of the main reasons I chose an MPP over a Master in Public Administration (MPA) was its curriculum. I came in especially excited about the Policy Analysis Exercise (PAE), which is the MPP’s capstone project. The MPP core curriculum was instrumental in helping me get to know my cohort members, and one of my favorite classes was API-501: Policy Design and Delivery taught by Professor Eric Rosenbach. I often found myself thinking about how lucky I was to learn from a former Chief of Staff to the Pentagon who approached teaching with rigor and care.
Looking back, what I enjoyed most about my classes was attending office hours, which provided an opportunity to talk with professors one-on-one about the ideas that stayed with me long after a case discussion ended. I felt myself building real and lasting relationships with professors.
Graduate school is a rare opportunity for personal growth
Outside the walls of HKS, life in Cambridge proved to be a lot like what you see in the movies: long, cold winters with lots of snow. But I also experienced plenty of warm gatherings among friends, which helped the season pass a little faster. I look back fondly on movie nights with members of the U.S. Latinx Caucus and the late-night study sessions at Lamont Library preparing for finals.
This last year has given me time to work on becoming a more complete person and leader. Each day walking through the halls of HKS, I was reminded that I was living the dream. Looking back, I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
