Emma Wells

Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: Seattle, Washington
Program Pathway: Part-time
Expected Graduation: 2028

I am a first year MPA student on the part-time track. Outside of Evans, I’m also a full-time research associate at Mathematica (so if you have any questions about balancing work and school, I’m happy to chat). I’m interested in policy analysis and evaluation, especially in social policy topics. I grew up in Seattle and am excited to be back after a few years away, including going to college in Portland and doing a year with AmeriCorps in Philadelphia.

What has been your favorite part of being a part of the Evans community?

Getting to know my classmates! Everyone has such interesting stories and perspectives, and I’ve learned so much from talking with other Evans students both in and outside of class.

What surprised you most when you started the MPA program?

The MPA program started out with a three-day launch, which was a wonderful way to get to know my cohort and the Evans community, reflect on my goals for the next few years, and jump in to the different types of content covered in MPA courses. Launch made the transition to grad school much smoother and more fun than I was expecting.

What advice would you give to someone considering the program? Why did you choose Evans?

Think about where you are trying to go and how Evans can help you get there. And if you get the chance, attend events for prospective/admitted students so you can get a better sense of what the community here feels like! I chose Evans because I liked that the part-time option doesn’t completely separate you from full-time students, because I was excited to take advantage of Evans’ regional reputation and large network, and because I liked the mix of hands-on experience (ex: capstone project) and rigorous academics (I was especially interested in strengthening my quantitative skills). After shadowing a class and attending a few events for admitted students, I felt confident that Evans would be a great environment for me to grow personally and professionally. It was also very helpful to talk with current students – so if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out!

What has been your favorite class so far, and why?

So far I enjoyed Managing Politics and the Policy Process. It was a great introduction to the program, fostered interesting group discussions, and the memo assignments sharpened my writing skills and let me connect projects I’ve done at work to what we were learning in the classroom.