Read more inspiring stories like M.C.'s
M.C. Andrews MC/MPA 1997 specializes in foreign policy, international development, and democracy abroad. With stints at the U.S. National Security Council, the World Bank, the International Republican Institute, and the Open Society Institute, she is having an impact across different sectors. Today, she is at Vianovo, a strategic advisory firm focused on brand positioning, public policy, and crisis management.
M.C., who also served as a fellow at HKS’s Institute of Politics, shares how her HKS experience shaped her career in foreign policy, her commitment to public service, and her decision to give back.
What led you to pursue your degree at the Kennedy School?
For as long as I can remember, I wanted to contribute to the world and my country through public service. Foreign policy has always been my core interest, and while serving as a staffer in the U.S. Congress, and subsequently at the International Republican Institute and World Bank, I saw that those I wanted to emulate had graduate degrees. I said to myself, “It is my turn for graduate school.”
My goal was the Kennedy School, knowing I was a good undergraduate, though not valedictorian, but also had worked in some of the most strategically critical countries in the world at that time. A dear friend and Kennedy School alumna convinced me to apply. I was equally shocked and elated when I received a call that I was accepted.
Nearly 30 years after graduation, I remain as honored as I was on my first day as a student to be part of the Kennedy School family.
How did your time at the School affect your career and life?
The Kennedy School changed my life, both professionally and personally. While that may sound trite to some, to me it is not. I was able to transition my career to working in the White House and National Security Council, and my professors were supportive and more, even long after graduation. I especially note Graham Allison, Bryan Hehir, Joe Nye, and Philip Zelikow—to all, I owe more than thanks. Personally, I made friends and built a network that continues to influence my life almost daily.
What about the HKS mission resonates with you?
Being a libertarian-leaning Republican at the Kennedy School in the 1990s was not the norm. Most of my friends and professors were not. This political reality led to perhaps my greatest single lesson from Cambridge: You may disagree, but there is honor on the other side.
In America today, I think about this lesson and advise clients, friends, and coworkers about ways to walk the line between advocating for your beliefs and being respectful of others’ opinions. In this regard, I am equally impressed with Harvard President Alan Garber and Kennedy School Dean Jeremy Weinstein, with whom I have a special affinity, as we both are former democracy directors at the National Security Council. Their leadership should be a model for so many others.
What impact do you feel your giving has?
The Kennedy School teaches students how to think more completely about the world in which they live. I am inspired as a Littauer Society donor, knowing the next generation of policymakers in the U.S. and around the world become better public servants through their education. I saw these opportunities firsthand because of support from the Kennedy School community, and I want to make it possible for the next generation. Noting the importance of these lessons, especially today, I see no better potential investment in the future and will continue to encourage classmates to contribute.
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