What were you doing before you came to GSPP?

Prior to arriving at GSPP, I spent five years working and consulting for New York City government. I began my career as a New York City Urban Fellow working at the NYC Department of City Planning where I worked on the implementation of Mayor de Blasio's Housing New York Plan -- a 10-year plan to build or preserve 200,000 affordable apartments across all five boroughs of New York City. Following my time at the Department of City Planning, I worked as an analyst consultant for a civic-sector management consulting firm that aided New York City government agencies in improving organizational structures, conducting stakeholder engagement, and designing constituent-facing processes.

What made you decide to pursue an MPP?

After working in local government, I really wanted to bolster my set of analytical tools to understand policy decisions and a framework with which to better evaluate their efficacy. I found that an MPP (especially at GSPP) could provide me those tools in an environment where I could meet students working on a range of issues beyond those in which I already had a background.

Why Goldman? What are you most excited about over the coming two years?

I chose Goldman because it offered the right balance of a rigorous quantitative and economic education, great professors, and a student body that was passionate about affecting structural change. I was also very drawn to study public policy at a public institution like Cal that is rooted in advancing and transmitting knowledge that can be of use to the public. 

I'm excited to get to know my peers over the next two years and to learn from their experiences. I am also excited to take courses not only here at Goldman, but also at the Haas School of Business, the College of Environmental Design, and at Berkeley Law to further round out my studies.

What are your plans for after you graduate?

My parents would also like to know the answer to this! Jokes aside, I hope to return to local government to work on affordable housing policy, with a specific focus on the impact of zoning when it comes to affordable housing production.

What keeps you busy outside of GSPP?

Running (slowly), bingeing news, and spending an inordinate amount of time on Google Maps.