Heller Admissions Blog Articles in February, 2023

Month: February 2023

A Day in the Life of a MS GHPM/MA SID student

Brielle Ruscitti, MS GHPM/MA SID’24

This semester, alongside my coursework, I am interning at the Sustainable Development Solutions Network and working in their education portfolio. I am currently working on projects related to program evaluation and outcomes. Today, I will be taking you through what a typical day looks like for me.

8am – I’ve had my morning coffee and packed up for the day so head out to campus, and start my day with my applied econometrics class at 9am.

10:30am – After my class ends, I start a bit of work on my internship. My work varies from day to day, but recently, I have been doing some analytics on survey data from the Global Schools program, which helps teachers implement education for sustainable development curriculum for schools across the world. I am investigating the relationship between the sustainable development goals and values that teachers think are most important. I am also working on some paper editing and communications with teachers involved in the Global Schools program.

12pm – I wrap up my internship work and head up to the Admissions desks where I start work. Somedays I work on blog posts, like this one, or meet with prospective students, and complete other tasks in the office.

2pm – My shift ends at 2pm, and I have a short break before my afternoon class starts, so I eat my lunch, take a mental break and go outside if the weather is nice. Then I head over to my introduction to demography class, which is only 7 weeks long, and I will have a new class starting in the middle of March. I have really enjoyed this class so far, but am excited to start another new topic in just a few weeks.

5pm- Shortly after 5, my class wraps up and I head home for the day. I usually make dinner and relax before heading to sleep after a busy day.

This day is definitely one of my busiest days but not all my days look like this. I have some days where I do not have any class and some days where I do not work, for my internship or at the Admissions office. I hope this gives some insight into what my days looks life and what you can do in your time as a Heller student.

Plan for an Admitted Student Day

February 23, 2023 / amandamiller / 0 Comments

If you’re one of our newly admitted students, congratulations! This is a great achievement, and we are excited to welcome you to Heller. As a newly admitted student, you’re no doubt wondering what the next steps are, or trying to imagine your life as a Heller student. To help you make such a big decision, Heller is offering a variety of events just for admitted students, both in-person and virtually, and this blog post, we will explore why we strongly recommend trying to attend one of these events.

Learn More About the Program
While you no doubt researched the Heller School extensively prior to applying, now that you’re admitted, you’ll find that there is more to learn because now there’s more to plan! By attending admitted student events, you’ll have the opportunity to learn about more details of the program. These events, whether in person or online, gives admitted students the chance to learn about the program’s curriculum, research opportunities, experiential learning opportunities, and career services. Having this information early on will help you start to make more informed decisions about your academic and professional goals.

Get to Know Your Future Classmates
Graduate school is not just about academics, it’s also about building your network and forging relationships. During many of these admitted student events, you’ll have the opportunity to start getting to know your future classmates and forming these friendships. You will be spending a significant amount of time with them, so it’s essential to start building relationships early. Having these connections even before the school year begins will allow you to start building a support system that will follow you through your academic journey and into your career.

Meet Your Professors
At the Heller School, our faculty members are not just accomplished academics but also practitioners in their fields. By attending admitted student events, you’ll have the opportunity to meet your future professors, ask them questions, and learn about their research interests. Building relationships with your professors is an important first step to finding a mentor, and admitted student days are a great time to start forging these connections. This is extremely important, as the faculty members at Heller are able to provide you with valuable guidance throughout your academic and professional career.

Experience the Heller Community
Lastly, attending admitted student events will give you a glimpse into the Heller School’s unique community. The Heller community is diverse, supportive, and passionate about social justice. By attending these events, you will get a sense of our community’s values and culture. At many of these events, you’ll also have the opportunity to hear from current students about their experiences at Heller.

A Day In The Life of a 2nd Year MPP Student

February 21, 2023 / rclark / 0 Comments

Ronunique Clark, MPP’23

Most students would probably like to spend their weekends either resting, catching up on their favorite hobbies, or hang out with friends. I, on the other hand, find myself trying to balance all of the above… and a little extra. Come along with me as I take you through my typical Saturday as a 2nd year MPP student, working as a part-time Support Staff member at Father Bill’s and Mainspring House in Quincy:

9:00am: After a very busy week of classes and extracurriculars, I wake up in the morning and start my house chores that I wasn’t able to get to during the week. A clean house is a clean mind!

11:00am: I finish up house chores, and then take time to go through any assignments that have an upcoming due date. When I’m planning out my weekend work, I attempt to prioritize my assignments by the day of class and deadline of assignment. I get started on some of the assignments.

1:00pm: I note whatever assignments I could not get to, in the hope that I can complete them during my scheduled shift (this is a hard hope), and then start to get ready for my upcoming shift.

2:00pm: I am all dressed and ready for my shift at the shelter. I spend time catching up with my roommates who (lucky them!) spend most of their day working from home.

3:30pm: I head out for work, as the shelter is about a thirty minute drive away from my home in Dorchester.

4:00pm: Arriving at the shelter, I greet the guests who are in line, waiting for check-in. The majority of the guests have same bed status in our shelter, but some are coming to receive a first-come, first-serve bed. I enter the shelter and say hello to my co-workers who were working the 8am-4pm shift, before clocking in for the day.

4:10pm: The people working on the 8am-4pm shift gives us, the 4pm-12am shift, a report of the day: do we have any guests who have received a warning or suspension? Are we out of any materials? Is the house laundry done for the day? Any major updates from management?

4:15pm: I check the bedsheet for any guests who may be entering the shelter late, have an approved night out, or suspension, and I make sure to mark this on the spreadsheet. After checking the spreadsheet, I go outside and begin checking guests in. Since most guests have same bed, they will tell me their bed numbers. For guests who are waiting for a bed, I ask if they are able to climb to a top bunk so I can allocate the proper accommodation. I write them in on the bedsheet by first and last name.

4:30pm: Official check in has begun. It should be four people on shift, but today there are only three of us. Another staff member and I start letting guest in pairs or groups of three. We check their bags, and ask them if they have any open food or water, any harmful items, or if they have any medication they will need to lock up. If they pass the full check in, they are allowed to enter the dorms, grab a blanket and sheet, and set all their items on the bed. For guest who have medication, it will need to be locked away in their med box.

5:00pm: Dinner time for guests.

6:00pm: First fresh air break for guests.

6:30pm: Guests are allowed to watch TV in the dining room, or they choose to get a head start on sleep. Staff spends this time in our office space, also known as the bubble, and cater to any guest needs: if they need any hygiene products or clothes, collect any mail, and guests who need to take medication, takes it.

7:30: Second fresh air break for guests.

8:00pm: Final medicine call for guests who would like to take their medications before lights out.

8:30pm: Begin filling out guest folders, taking notes if guests are in the shelter or not.

9:00pm: Third fresh air break for guests.

9:30pm: Guests assist staff with cleaning up dining room so that guests who were not able to receive a bed can sleep.

10:00pm: Lights out for all guests in the shelter

10:30pm: Final fresh air break for guests

11:00pm: We made it to the final hour! My co-workers and I normally spend time doing dorm checks and retracing the day spent.

12:00am: Overnight shift 12am-8am relief arrives, and my co-workers and I brief them on the status of day: do we have any guests who have received a warning or suspension? Are we out of any materials? Is the house laundry done for the day? Any major updates from management? After, I clock out for the night and head home.

WHEW isn’t that a shift? I bet you’re exhausted from reading all of that. For most, this may not seem like the ideal job to have as a graduate student and some may way want to know what made me agree to a job like this in the first place. As a public policy student ,I believe the only way I can make a direct impact and provide my support is when I am on the ground doing the work. Often times, shelter support staff are overlooked and most certainly can be overworked, and there is currently a shortage on these kind of workers. If a government is going to fund something, then people will have to be there to work it. These types of workers are should be thought about when implementing new structures, policies, and procedures, because we are the ones bridging the gap between the rules and the individual it was put in place to serve. With that being said, I will continue to place myself in positions that do and will make direct client to support services, because those are that is the kind of work that makes our world of social impact go around.

A Day in the Life of an MBA Student

February 16, 2023 / cmcquarters / 0 Comments

Calah McQuarters, MBA’23

Here we are, five weeks into the semester. The New Year seems like it was just yesterday, but somehow midterms are just a whisper away. With time racing by and deadlines approaching, I thought I’d stop and take a moment to give you all a glimpse into what it’s like being a second semester Social Impact MBA Student.

Let’s start with Tuesday, Managerial Accounting (required). “Calah! What about Monday?” Well, there are no MBA classes on Mondays this semester. However, for many of us, that day is filled with work, internships, future planning, etc. But let’s not get into that right now… Back to Tuesday. Managerial Accounting starts at 2:20 PM and ends at 5:10 PM. For this class, reading and homework are voluntary, but I would strongly recommend both! When testing rolls around (like today), it comes in handy!

On Wednesdays I have two classes: Social Policy and Management through the Lens of Equity (elective) from 9 AM to 12 PM and Financial Management (required) from 2:30 PM to 5:20 PM. The electives you choose to take are often just as important as the required courses, but not for the reasons you may think. While you are still learning theory and/or practical tools in your elective courses, these courses are also almost like a refreshing pause. It is a time to really engage in material you are passionate about. Not to say someone can’t be passionate about balance sheets and process flow charts, but I would much rather discuss intersectionality. Reading for different elective courses may be optional, but I have found that it is often some of the most engaging material. We are always more inclined to read what we are passionate about. As for Financial Management, this class provides multiple opportunities to engage in real world application. All of the opportunities are mandatory assignments (lol), but as I recognize my understanding of financial planning and decision-making grow, I don’t mind them too much (most of the time…).

Strategic Management (required) happens on Thursdays from 9:35 AM to 12:25 PM. This is where reading becomes a little more mandatory and also a little more intensive. Recommendation: don’t start the reading for this class the night before. You will not finish. The same goes for Operations Management.

Friday mornings are for Operations Management (required) from 9:35 AM to 12:25 PM. You can’t get to the weekend without going over process flow, capacity, and bottlenecks, right! Although they are content heavy, a particular highlight of the Strategic and Operations Management courses is the field project for each class. Do you have an idea of what you want to do post-graduation and/or the organization/sector you want to work in? The field projects allow you to get a head start. While it personally feels a tad daunting, I am grateful for the challenge and the encouragement to start thinking about the future. After all, I won’t be in school forever. *asks self if that is an option…*

A common theme for all of my classes this semester and classes at Heller in general is: you choose. You choose when, what, and how much to read and engage with the material given. Most courses only have an average of 3 to 5 required assignments for the semester, but outside of those, it’s up to you. This has been one of the biggest adjustments for grad school life. During my time in undergrad, I was the all nighter, study beforer, and never reader. My, how times have changed! Not necessarily because the amount of content changed, but because I chose to change. I knew coming into Heller, I wanted to learn and take advantage of every group project, individual paper, case study, and article reading. Now, realistically have I skimmed through a handful of articles while ignoring a couple others? Yes. But who doesn’t! It is all about balance. Doing what you need to do today so tomorrow isn’t too hectic. But if you choose to take a nap instead of making a spreadsheet, don’t worry. Lack of rest can cause a bottleneck in your brain and limit capacity. I learned that in Operations. 😉

Reasons to Fall in Love with Heller

February 14, 2023 / amandamiller / 0 Comments

Happy Valentine’s Day, blog readers! On this day, where we celebrate love, I want to take a moment to recognize what lies at the root of this community: a genuine belief in the power of people to effect good in the world. In a world that so often feels chaotic or stagnant (or worse, deteriorating), everyone at Heller not only believes that positive change is possible, but are actively working to improve it. Over the past year, our students, alumni, faculty, and staff have done amazing things, so here’s my Valentine to the Heller community: these are some of the reasons why I love Heller.

From July 2021 to June 2022…

Heller faculty and director of the Institute for Children, Youth, and Family Policy Dolores Acevedo-Garcia was appointed to the Societal Experts Action Network, a committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, launched in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to bring timely, actionable guidance to the critical and complex questions facing decision-makers.
Sandy Ho, MPP’22, co-wrote an article for the Winter 2O22 issue of the Stanford Social Innovation Review, “Time for Philanthropy to Confront Ableism.” She argues that if philanthropy is to build a more just and equal society, it must combat ableism in its own institutions and practices. Sam Hyun, MPP/MBA’22, was the subject of a Dec. 15, 2O21, profile in The Boston Globe, “Sam Hyun Is Tireless in Amplifying Long Silenced AAPI Voices”.
The Master of Public Policy program sponsored a talk by Robert Kuttner, Meyer and Ida Kirstein Professor in Social Planning and Administration, on April 28, 2O22, in which Kuttner discussed his book “Going Big: FDR’s Legacy, Biden’s New Deal, and the Struggle to Save Democracy.”
Phillip Aitken, MA COEX’22, Ruya Akar, MA SID/ COEX’22, Gabriella Lanzi, MA SID/COEX’22, and Whitney Wehrle, MA SID/COEX’22, received Boren Awards to further their international and language studies. Making use of these grants, Phillip studied Portuguese in Cabo Verde; Ruya studied Arabic in Amman, Jordan, and Gabriella in Rabat, Morocco; and Whitney continued her studies of Armenian, which she began in country as a Peace Corps volunteer in 2O18.
Heller faculty and PhD Alumna Alexandra Piñeros-Shields, PhD’07, was honored at the White House’s Fourth of July Celebration (2O21) for her work in defending the rights of immigrants and promoting humane immigration reform.
PhD student Janelle Ridley was quoted in a Sept. 28, 2O21, Boston Globe story about The Run Around, a tabletop game about the juvenile justice system that is designed to be impossible to win.
A bill proposed in California (AB-2832) recommended the Institute for Child, Youth and Family Policy’s Child Opportunity Index as a potential screening tool for collecting data on racial and economic equity in order to provide the state’s highest-need communities with additional investments for early childhood infrastructure and resources.
Samantha Berlus, MPP’23, and Armando Vizcardo, MPP’23, were among the recipients of the 2O22 Harvard Kennedy School Rappaport Public Policy Fellowship. During the summer of 2O22, Samantha worked with the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance and Armando worked in the Massachusetts Office of the Treasurer and Receiver General’s Office of Economic Empowerment.
In March 2O22, Heller faculty member Peter Dixon facilitated “Restorative Justice in Concord,” a reconciliation dialogue between a local private school and The Robbins House, a local museum run by interim dean Maria Madison, around the history of slavery in Concord, Massachusetts.
Heller faculty Anita Hill’s April 7, 2O22, op-ed, “The Senate Judiciary Committee Mistreated Judge Jackson. I Should Know,” appeared in The Washington Post.

Heller 2023 Winter Highlights

February 9, 2023 / amandamiller / 0 Comments

Every quarter, my colleagues in Heller Communications put out a new issue of the Heller magazine, and at the risk of sounding like a bit of a dweeb, I always read it cover to cover. Although I would say that Heller is better than a lot of workplaces at fostering community, there’s always so much going on that it’s hard to keep up with what everyone else in the building is up to. The Heller Magazine always does a great job highlighting interesting stories from students, alumni, faculty, and even giving a bit of Heller history. Some of my favorite articles from issues past include Beyond “Do no harm”, The Best Lessons I Learned at Heller: Alumni share stories about their favorite professors, and 2020 asks us: If not now, when?.

When I came into the office on Tuesday, I was so excited to see the Winter 2023 issue in my mailbox, and have spent the last few days reading it cover to cover. You can find the full accessible PDF here, but I wanted to highlight some of my favorite articles from this issue.

Championing Social Justice – Although all of this article, which focuses on the initiatives that Interim Dean Maria Madison has implemented since stepping into the role last summer, I though the section that focuses on Heller graduates’ career outcomes was particularly interesting. Of Heller graduating class this year, an impressive 98% were employed, pursuing graduate studies, or had received competitive fellowships within six months of collecting their Heller diplomas. Our Interim Assistant Dean of Career Development, Jasmine Waddell, attributes this in part to the connections students forge while at Heller, ““The entire community is dedicated to advancing the professional development and employment outcomes for our extraordinary students. It’s not just our office — faculty in all seven programs bring in employers as guest speakers to connect the academic content to career opportunities.” In my role in admissions, I often find that many students are interested in taking classes and even whole programs online, but I think that really ignores a crucial aspect of graduate school: the ability to forge connections. As someone who earned a Master’s degree through an in-person program and is currently enrolled in an online program: an online program simply cannot compare to an in-person program when it comes to expanding your network, and I think this article really underscores something I knew but hadn’t articulated to myself: how crucial forming real world connections is to getting ahead.

Stand-out quote: “Waddell’s team runs a wealth of programs, both virtual and in person, designed to connect students with potential employers. There’s an annual career fair, now offered virtually, and a Career Trek to Washington, D.C., among other initiatives. Through the MBA Board Fellows Program, MBA students are invited to serve as nonvoting members of nonprofit boards, giving them hands-on experience and a rare window into the inner workings of organizations.

The Power of Girls’ Education – This article immediately caught my eye as a graduate of a women’s college, and it didn’t disappoint. Learning about how Beatriz Pleités, MA SID’23, spent her practicum working as a development and communications intern at SEGA Girls’ Secondary School in Morogoro, Tanzania, was so interesting– and how amazing that she learned Swahili during an internship! This article gets a lot of points from me for the feel good factor, and also the adorable photos of the children at the school.

Stand-out quote: “I come from a developing country myself, but when one of the students sought my advice after her parents asked her to get married, I realized how different my adolescence was from theirs,” Beatriz says.

Yuqi Wang, MBA/MPP’20 : Fostering equity in Kendall Square’s business center – Kendall Square is one of my favorite areas in Boston, but I’ve never thought of all the work that goes into making the neighborhood so charming. Reading this article about the work that one of our recent MBA/MPP graduates does in her role for the Kendal Square Association was so interesting. Yuqi leads programs related to diversity, equity and inclusion, corporate responsibility and community impact, including the Inclusion Drives Innovation program, which focuses on helping participants develop the tools to improve intersectionality. It’s always so interesting to learn about the impactful and interesting work that students go on to do after the graduate, and Yuqi is certainly no exception!

Stand-out quote: ““It all comes down to power at the end of the day, and programming and policy are two sides of the same coin,” Wang says. “When you’re trying to think of how [you] can be a change agent on an individual level, there is a lot of potential in programs to push people and companies forward to change policies. I find that very fulfilling and very cool.”

I’m Admitted, Now What: Choosing the Right Program

February 7, 2023 / amandamiller / 0 Comments

Deciding what graduate programs to apply to is hard enough. But deciding what school to attend after you’ve received multiple offers? That can feel almost impossible. Today, I’d like to share some tips to help you choose which graduate school to attend.

Get your facts straight. Even though you most likely did a significant amount of research when choosing which schools to apply to, now’s the time to dig even deeper. Many programs host Admitted Student Days, or connect accepted prospective students to current students or faculty members in other ways. Take advantage of this opportunity, and don’t be afraid to ask the tough questions. Ask current students what their cost of living is, how available faculty are outside of classroom hours, and what their workload is. Ask faculty what mentorship opportunities exist, what their current research projects are, and what their expectations of their students are. Try to get a feel for what the environment of the program is: is it more collaborative or competitive? What activities are available to students outside of classes? What are the relationships between students and faculty like? Remember that there are no right answers; only what would fit you best.

Compare financial aid packages. Take a close look at the financial aid packages you’ve been offered. Some packages cover fees, while others don’t. Similar programs can vary in length, so a longer program may end up costing more in the long run, even if they’ve given you a higher scholarship. Some packages or stipends are contingent on being a teaching or research assistant, so factor that in as well. If you live out of state, you might also want to consider the cost of traveling home to visit family during your time in the program. The College Board has a great tool for comparing different financial aid packages, although it is intended for undergraduate programs, so you’ll need to substitute estimated living expenses for room and board, and you’ll want to factor in the length of the program as well.

Weigh your options. For some students, it comes down to a gut decision. But for the more indecisive among us, it can be helpful to create a spreadsheet that takes into account your priorities. Here’s a sample one that I made to help illustrate this, but remember, the weight that you give each category is totally up to you, and you may have other priorities that I didn’t even list.

College A				College B
Factor	Score	Weight	Weighted Score	Factor	Score	Weight	Weighted Score
Research Opportunities	10	10%	1	Research Opportunities	9	10%	0.9
Community Feel	6	10%	0.6	Community Feel	8	10%	0.8
Academic Rigor	8	40%	3.2	Academic Rigor	6	40%	2.4
Cost	9	30%	2.7	Cost	7	30%	2.1
Student Life	8	10%	0.8	Student Life	5	10%	0.5

By adding the weighted scores together, you should get a total out of ten. In this example, College A scores an 8.3 out of 10, while College B gets a 6.7. Looks like School A is the place for me!

A Sample Semester Schedule

February 2, 2023 / bruscitti / 0 Comments

Brielle Ruscitti, MS GHPM/MA SID’24

As the new semester begins, there is always a adjustment period to the new courses and seeing all your classmates again. As a perspective student, one of my biggest questions was about how the courses were structured and what my schedule would look like. Now, as a current student, I am able to enjoy all the flexibility and course availability to design my schedule to address my degree requirements and personal interests. With that, as a dual degree student, I am able to take some of my sustainable international development courses, while technically being in my global health policy & management year. I made sure to account for my interests when planning my schedule, and now that classes have started, I’m glad I did.

This semester I am taking 18 credits, with a few half semester courses and two full semester courses. My course topics range from econometrics, to demography, to monitoring and evaluation. Generally, each of my classes meets for just under three hours, and this semester, all courses are in person. This has been great for collaboration and group discussions. My schedule has either a full day, with both a morning and afternoon class, or just a half day. Having half days allows me to work on projects, other assignments and readings for class. Most morning classes start around 9, and the afternoon classes begin around 2. Even with the longer time block, there is a break midday to hang out with your classmates, eat lunch and relax before your next course starts.

The coursework for each of course is rather variable and depends on the style, length and professor of the class. It is great that the courses often have a mix of individual and group projects, as well as assignments you create your own path for. For example, students are often allowed to chose a subject area of interest within a set of criteria. This helps keep the assignments interesting and see how all students bring in something unique to your learning experience.

Thus far in my time at Heller, I have learned that your experience is up to you and to take time to explore your interests, both in and out of the classroom. I make sure to have time for my extracurricular activities like volunteering and reading, so while each semester brings new opportunities to explore, remember to continue to growing outside the classroom too.