By: Sanay Tufekci
How do public leaders bridge the gap between theory and real policy solutions? At the University of Washington Evans School of Public Policy & Governance, I learned firsthand from the people doing the work to solve American society’s most pressing problems.
This summer, I had the incredible opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C., and Seattle, WA, with the Next Generation Service Corps Summer Policy Academy, joining 75 passionate future policymakers from across the country to explore this question. I took policy coursework at UW, connected with D.C. professionals, met peers from across the United States, and learned more about what a career in public service could look like for me.
The program started in Washington, D.C., where I attended workshops, panels, and networking events with professionals from the federal government, nonprofit organizations, and the private sector. We took an exclusive after-hours tour of the U.S. Capitol with former Washington representative Brian Baird—we even sang “Amazing Grace” together a cappella in the Rotunda, which was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever heard.
Then the cohort split into three: some of my peers headed to UC Berkeley’s Goldman School to study democracy and law, others to the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School for an international affairs focus. Those of us particularly interested in social policy boarded a Washington-to-Washington flight to the gorgeous UW campus.
In the second part of the program, we took courses in social policy at the Evans School of Public Policy & Governance. We learned about policy tools such as logic models, multi-criteria decision-making, equity assessments, and policy evaluation, applying them to issues including food insecurity, housing crises, and mass incarceration. We met wonderful professors who taught theoretical concepts through real-world examples and gave us invaluable career advice. I learned the difference between an MPP and an MPA, how to decide between policy options based on a matrix of factors like cost and efficacy, and even how to pronounce Sequim. We also volunteered at the University District Food Bank, meeting the people doing the work on the ground and the Seattleites they serve.
For our final project, my brilliant partner, Deissy Mendez, and I mapped out and analyzed an educational nonprofit program model, modifying it to perform in both urban and rural contexts. We considered local factors like existing resources for families, demographics, the job market, and public and nonprofit funding sources to tailor the program to the communities it serves. Deissy and I presented this as a research poster to community leaders in the public service space. It was so valuable to get feedback on my work from industry professionals and to pitch policy ideas in a formal setting.
As amazing as the program itself was, it was also magical to be in Seattle for the first time. Our cohort made the most of our time there: taking the ferry to Bainbridge Island, watching the sun set over Lake Union at Gas Works Park, and even standing at the bottom of the Needle because I am far too cheap to pay for the elevator ride.
A huge thank you to The Volcker Alliance for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and to the Evans School’s wonderful staff: Amen Tsegai, Dahn Bi Lee-Hong, and Dr. Scott W. Allard, for all their hard work making this program not only possible but absolutely unforgettable. Finally, thank you to my fellow SPA-ers, whose palpable commitment to making positive change inspires hope in me for our generation of policymakers. I hope to work alongside you in the very near future.
I’m walking away from the Summer Policy Academy program at Evans with new connections, a deeper understanding of the institutions and people who make policy, and a renewed dedication to public service.