By Denia Smith, JSI@HKS 2025 Summer Scholar
Fifteen undergraduates from across the United States spent their summer on the Harvard Kennedy School campus for the second annual Junior Summer Institute (JSI@HKS) as JSI Summer Scholars.
The fully funded, seven-week program prepares rising seniors for graduate studies and careers in public service. JSI is the signature summer offering of the Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Program, which partners with public policy schools across the country to develop the next generation of public leaders. JSI Summer Scholars have gone on to receive merit-based scholarships to top public policy graduate schools.
Denia Smith, a political science and African American studies major at American University, built her path as an activist and organizer. This summer, she gained new policy tools, academic insights, and a deeper vision for turning her commitment to justice into actionable change.
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As a 16-year-old in 2020, I did not know what to expect, let alone what came next. I just led my first protest, gathering 1,000 people in my rural town in New Jersey to demand #BlackLivesMatter. It catalyzed a journey of activism and grassroots organizing.
For the next two years, I mobilized hundreds of young people across New Jersey, working with research think tanks like the African American Policy Forum and nonprofits like the United Nations Foundation to call attention to racial inequity in the United States. Afterward, I moved to Washington, D.C. to study political science and African American studies at American University, where I am refining my policy focus on mitigating police violence and racial equity.
I’ve been immersed in research and advocacy ventures intertwined with policy issues, but never did I envision myself going to a graduate school to study public policy. I had ambitions of getting a graduate degree, but the thought of navigating the process felt overwhelming and farfetched. Until this summer, that is.
Through JSI@HKS, I had the honor of taking courses that are part of Harvard Kennedy School’s Master in Public Policy (MPP) Program, with an emphasis on analyzing the role of race and racism in public policy decisions and practices.
In courses like Race and Racism in Public Policies and Practices, Economics of Public Policy, Quantitative Methods, and the Public Policy Incubator, I developed the tools to quantitatively articulate the implications of policy decisions, and propose alternatives that advance equity and center the needs of marginalized communities.
In addition to being challenged through a rigorous accelerated curriculum, I interacted with scholars specializing in racial equity, police violence, and social justice, including Professor Yanilda María González, Dr. Sandra Susan Smith, and Professor Cornell William Brooks. Having the privilege to hear about these scholars' journeys and their academic insights exposed me to newfound perspectives and avenues toward advancing solutions to multifaceted crises.
Pairing these new findings with workshops led by policy practitioners at the Bloomberg Center for Cities, Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, and at a panel at Boston City Hall, I saw how an MPP degree is more than comprehending trivial intellectual queries; it’s about applying real-world insight to implement change for those whom public policy often pushes to the margins.
“As I approach my graduation next year, I will continue to root myself in my 'why': to craft policies that create conditions for equity and justice for historically marginalized communities.”
At the end of JSI@HKS, I synthesized the knowledge I gained during the seven-week program to propose a policy memo on Missing and Murdered Black Women & Girls in Chicago, Illinois. Using the framework I learned in the Public Policy Incubator, I identified key stakeholders, analyzed root causes, identified strategic options, and recommended the best route of action with a three-year implementation timeline.
As I continue my summer by embarking on my 'Summer Voyage' through the Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholarship program, I am thrilled to use my JSI@HKS memo for my work at the Coalition on Urban Girls—Chicago to advance racial and gender equity for Black women and girls on the Southside of Chicago.
As I reflect on JSI@HKS, I am consistently reminded of an insight stated during the Bloomberg Center for Cities workshop: “Don’t forget your why.” As I approach my graduation next year, I will continue to root myself in my “why”: to craft policies that create conditions for equity and justice for historically marginalized communities. While my “why” has always been my constant, JSI@HKS further equipped me with the tools and the network to see them materialized. I am elated for all that is to come.
Photos by Bethany Versoy and courtesy of Denia Smith.
The fully funded, seven-week Junior Summer Institute at Harvard Kennedy School prepares undergraduate students who are rising seniors for graduate studies and careers in public service. Learn more about the program and upcoming application and admission dates.
