Students who benefit from HKS Littauer Society members’ support

Hometown: Orange County, California, United States

Before HKS

At the Vera Institute of Justice, I supported research teams working alongside incarcerated individuals on local and statewide initiatives aimed at ending mass incarceration. My commitment to educational rights also shaped my research as a student at UC Santa Barbara, where I helped kickstart a California-wide book-to-prison project.

Why focus on social justice? 

As a Muslim Iranian woman who has experienced the isolating effects of marginalization, I recognize the importance of fostering inclusivity. My passion to pursue public safety, criminal legal reform, and parole policy initiatives stems from empathizing with the stories, relayed to me both from my family and on screen, of Iranian’s resilience and fight for normalcy amidst state-sanctioned violence. 

The importance of financial aid

Financial aid played a pivotal role in my pathway to HKS because without the generous funding I received, pursuing a public interest career would not have been possible. This support has enabled me to gain an inclusive education—not only learning legal frameworks but also mastering rigorous research, stakeholder engagement, and the intricacies of policy implementation.

Why HKS? 

I wanted an education in policy design and implementation, in addition to my law school journey [Shirin is a concurrent degree candidate at Georgetown University Law Center]. As I decided I wanted to pursue work in criminal legal reform, both in domestic policy and international law, I realized I needed training in rigorous research design, public speaking, negotiation, and policy development. 

Hometown: Kathmandu, Nepal

Before HKS

I worked for the WHO in Gambia as a partnership officer, working with organizations and donors to bring in money, raise awareness, and build networks to combat local issues.

Why public service? 

I always wanted to get into development work to advocate for people in need. While my family lived a comfortable life, I had friends who were impacted by violence from civil war and lacked access to food.

Finding out that he received financial aid

While working in Gambia, the internet went down after I received my admission letter. It took five hours to reboot, at which time I received my financial aid award. In those five hours without knowing I had financial aid support, I was not coming to HKS due to other financial responsibilities to my family. Getting that financial aid was everything.

Why HKS? 

At the WHO, I encountered some challenges in terms of efficiency and resources. While I could identify flaws and risk easily, I did not have consistent solutions to address them. My goal for coming to HKS is to build my capacity to generate solutions for problems in the field, to help organizations become more efficient, and to engage with the HKS network.

Hometown: Belmont, Massachusetts, United States

Before HKS

I did a master’s in procurement and supply chain management in France because I was interested in looking at food system sustainability from a value chain perspective. Afterwards, I worked in sustainability strategy for Danone, the yogurt company, in France, where I focused on water and biodiversity strategy.

On her interest in the food system

Growing up in a French American family, I had always been very interested in food. Food was a very big part of daily life, building community, a bicultural identity, and healthy lives. ... In food and food systems, sustainability considerations span the entire farm-to-fork trajectory, from water usage in agriculture to food procurement and processing, as well as consumption and the health impacts of our diets. I’m particularly interested in public-private collaboration in the food system, particularly at the intersection of environment, health and nutrition, and access.

On financial aid

Financial aid made it an easy decision to study at HKS. Compared to U.S. salaries, you don’t make much when you’re living in Europe. And there are a lot of positives that come with that system, but it can mean that it’s a bit challenging to undertake financial decisions back in the U.S.

Why HKS? 

My HKS experience is going to give me the skills and the tools I need to understand how to bridge that gap between sectors and transform theory into tangible policy solutions to enhance food system resilience. The beauty of the MPA Program is that you can shape the curriculum towards your professional goals in your desired subject area.

On her future

Without collaboration, the global sustainability goals will not be accomplished. We cannot trust one individual sector to make the change and bear that responsibility. I envision a future career dedicated to food and agriculture, with a focus on cross-sectoral collaboration. 

Hometown: Wah Cantt, Pakistan

Before HKS

I was working to provide technical assistance to the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. As part of the project, I worked extensively on pension reforms, sales tax on services reforms, and climate finance and resilience. I was also part of the delegation to COP28 to present our work on climate resilient infrastructure post-2022 floods and two carbon-credit transactions being structured by the province.

On navigating a male-dominated workplace

Working as a female professional in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa—a traditionally patriarchal region—was both challenging and rewarding. In professional settings dominated solely by men, I worked extensively to mainstream gender in policymaking.

The importance of financial aid

The funding was a decisive factor in my decision to enroll because it removed financial barriers, which has allowed me to focus fully on academic and professional growth. This funding has also served as a vote of confidence by the School in my potential to create meaningful change in my home country.

Why HKS? 

The rigorous MPA/ID Program stood out to me with its focus on policy analysis, international development, and interdisciplinary approaches. The program perfectly aligned with my career goals of fostering sustainable and inclusive reforms in Pakistan as it will help me understand how governments across the globe tackle sensitive reform agendas.

Hometown: Epe, Lagos State, Nigeria

Before HKS

I served as senior special assistant to the president of Nigeria on intergovernmental affairs, after a progressive career in Nigeria’s Parliament where I rose through the ranks to become the chief of staff to the speaker of the House of Representatives.

Key accomplishment

One of my proudest achievements was contributing to the passage of the interest-free Student Loan Act, making higher education more accessible to Nigerian students.

The importance of financial aid

Financial support was crucial because of my financial constraints, which was one of the reasons I had self-rejected in the past. [It] eased my path to a world-class education at Harvard, and I am grateful to all the donors.

Why HKS? 

My experience in legislative research and implementing policies in Nigeria’s parliament showed me the need for advanced public policy education. The HKS program’s focus on quantitative methods, economics, and data analytics aligns perfectly with my goal of bringing data-driven and AI solutions to policy implementation in Nigeria. Having transitioned from the legislative to executive branch of government, I’m particularly excited about how the innovative curriculum will enhance my ability to implement effective public policies.