During the 2025-2026 academic year, two Outreach and Belonging Associates worked alongside the Admissions & Financial Aid team, meeting with prospective students, hosting student-run panels about the Harvard Kennedy School student experience, and working with HKS staff to make the School accessible to every applicant.
Outreach and Belonging Associate Nidhi Nair MPP 2026 reflects on her time as a student employee and shares her experience from the last two years. Read her Q&A below.
What has been your favorite part of working as an Outreach and Belonging Associate?
My favorite part of this role has been coordinating informative webinars to help prospective students and newly admitted students understand the HKS experience. This year, I co-hosted a webinar series that drew more than 100 attendees per session. Hosting sessions like “Finding Your Why: Experiences & Resources that Shaped my HKS Journey” and “Moving to Cambridge: An International Student Perspective” felt like a full-circle moment because I was the one coordinating the webinars that once helped me apply to HKS two and a half years ago. Prospective applicants seem to appreciate authentic student voices, and I was grateful to have the chance to bring that to them.
What have you learned over the two years in this role?
Transparency is powerful. HKS feels like an intimidating place to apply to, but I did not want anyone to dismiss their eligibility. Talking openly and honestly about the process helped many applicants, including many first-generation, low-income, and international applicants.
I also learned first-hand about how rich the research ecosystem here is. Working closely with the Bloomberg Center for Cities and learning about hubs like the Ash Center For Democratic Governance and Innovation and the Taubman Center for State and Local Government helped me understand how students can plug into policy work from their first day on campus.
What has surprised you the most?
How many people genuinely need just one conversation to feel like HKS is possible for them. Some of the most impressive prospective students I spoke with had talked themselves out of applying before we had even met. Watching that shift in real time was something I did not anticipate, and it has been one of my favorite parts of working here.
“Some of the most impressive prospective students I spoke with had talked themselves out of applying before we had even met. Watching that shift in real time was something I did not anticipate, and it has been one of my favorite parts of working here.”
How did you balance being a full-time student and part-time employee?
It required some time management, but I found that what I was learning in class about community engagement made me a better advocate in webinars.
What is next after graduation, and how has HKS prepared you?
I’m looking forward to spending the summer in New York City working for Results for America! During my time at HKS, I learned a lot about state and local government modernization, so I’m excited to apply those lessons in this role.
What is one piece of advice you’d give for prospective students?
Do not over-curate your story. The applications that stick are the ones that are clear and honest about who you are and what you actually care about. You do not need to have everything figured out—you just need to be genuine about where you are and where you want to go.
Quick questions
- Favorite class: SUP 112M: Enabling Digital Delivery: Benefits Implementation in Beyonce's America with Ayushi Roy
- Favorite study spot: Widener Library or the tenth floor of the Smith Campus Center
- Favorite restaurant near campus: Felipe's. No question.
- Favorite memory: Too many to count!
- Favorite guest speaker: MIT Professor Daron Acemoglu
