‘Campus Connections’ Articles at Heller Admissions Blog

Tag: Campus Connections (page 1 of 3)

Event recap: Waffles and Wellness

Calah McQuarters, MBA’23

Why did Waldo go to therapy? To find himself. HA! Just trying something different to start today’s blog…did you laugh? No? Well, that’s fine. But that joke does lead us into what we are talking about today!

Last month, Brandeis Counseling Center and the office of Equity Inclusion and Diversity teamed up to put on a Self-Care series. The series hosted Waffles and Wellness on Thursdays and Mindful Mondays. Being that it was midterm month, I had no intention of stopping in at any of these events. I needed every minute of my day for tests and papers! But one fateful Thursday, the smell of waffles drifted into my classroom and all at once, my classmates began to look around wondering where that beautiful smell was coming from (that’s how they lure you in, free food). I had coffee and breakfast already that morning, so I wasn’t too hungry, but after class, I chose to follow my friends to a nearby study room where Waffles and Wellness was just getting started and sat down waiting for my friends to finish eating. I wasn’t looking to talk about wellness or really to talk at all. I was just patiently waiting.

Now let me pause here and say I LOVE therapy. I am a big advocate for everyone to do at least a few sessions every couple of years just to check in and make sure they are in a good place mentally. I did therapy during my undergrad years, and it was truly lifesaving. So, by no means am I opposed to the practice of therapy, but on this particular day, mental wellness was not at the top of my to do list. Now let’s get back to the story.

As I sat waiting patiently, watching waffles, both gluten-free and gluten-filled, being made fresh and passed out, Heller’s community therapist, Roxann, began going around the room presenting a deck of note cards for students to pick from. Each card had a definition for mental wellness. For example, the first card read “Mental wellness is taking a break”. Again, this was smack dab in the middle of midterm season, so I wasn’t the only one to chuckle after this card was read aloud. Roxann sensing the overwhelming rejection of this definition began asking those who were present questions and explained how essential stepping away from work was to overall productivity and success of any assignment. After this, another student picked from the deck and read aloud “Mental wellness is going to therapy”. Again, I chuckled, but this time, I was the only one… And if you didn’t know, laughing at going to therapy in front of a therapist is the fastest way to find yourself as a new client of that therapist, willing or unwilling (I’m kidding, sort of). Recognizing that I was the only one that laughed, I immediately looked up to lock eyes with Roxann, knowing that I wasn’t going to get away without sharing the reason behind my reaction.

Again, I want to pause. Please don’t think I was pressured to share or even be in the space. I was very much a willing participant. But there is something about being in an open space, with open people that compels you to be open too. And that was the point of the series, creating an environment for people to come together, share, learn how to care for each other and ourselves better, and get the necessary tools to practice every day. But once more, back to the story.

I won’t divulge everything that was discussed after that moment, but I will tell you that before I left that room, I sent Roxann an email requesting to start sessions with her the next week. Just like that, following people who were following the smell of waffles landed me back in therapy. And I couldn’t be happier about it.

That’s my story of Waffles and Wellness. As I tend to leave tidbits of advice in my blogs, I will leave you with this. Stay away from waffles. Kidding! You are never too busy to take care of you. Never.

True Life: Reflections of 2nd Year Graduate Student

April 20, 2023 / rclark / 0 Comments

Ronunique Clark, MPP’23

Graduation is a little less than a month away, and I am not sure if the time is moving faster or slower… but it is moving! When I began my journey to graduate school, it was a stressful one. I questioned myself a lot: is this the right move? Should I just wait another year or so? Did I choose the right field to go into? Every doubtful question went through my mind as I navigated statements of purpose, interviews, and gathering all the required application materials. I only applied to 5 different programs, because I learned my lesson applying to multiple schools in undergrad and being on a time crunch. The Heller School was my first acceptance letter into a graduate program. I was proud but I was also terrified, maybe because the acceptance letter made it real. I said to myself, “Oh, we are really doing this, actually?” And that we were!

I graduated from Boston University May 2021 and began my semester at Heller in August 2021; orientation was on the day of my 22nd birthday. I know what you are probably thinking: only a 3 month break between undergrad and grad school? I mean, what can I say, I was working off momentum and under my own philosophy that if I do it all now I won’t have to do it later. However, please be reminded this is what worked for me and everyone’s journey into higher education is different.

My time at Boston University really shifted my prospective on navigating a campus and courses. I had to constantly remind myself that I could not bring any academic doubts or baggage that I faced in my undergraduate program to this one. This was a new opportunity, a new place, new people, a new chance to test out my knowledge, and new avenue to work on my passion. I remember sitting in my first semester classes, listening intently to the introductions of my cohort and professors. I noticed that many people would end their introductions with what their field interests and passions were. I realized I did not really categorize my interests just yet. I knew I came to graduate school to bridge the gap between government services and resources for communities however what does that mean exactly. I had to ask myself what government services and resources? Who are the communities I plan to serve? How do I ensure that I am providing solid recommendations and support when cultivating policy solutions for said communities? Once I was able to answer questions, it became easier for me to navigate courses and utilize the skills being taught connecting them to my passions. I have been able to participate within my class discussions and courses on the impact of insufficiencies with our government services and resources, understanding how to address the problem, what is the solution, and how the solution will be beneficial in the long term.

Another important aspect of navigating the Master of Public Policy program here at Heller is realizing the importance of networking amongst faculty, staff, and peers. Heller has a wide range of students, faculty, and staff who come from different cultural backgrounds and have different career fields and interests. Networking is key because you are able to connect with individuals from a array of backgrounds and are able to ask for guidance or assistance in your career goals and initiatives. When I had to start thinking about my final capstone project, I was concerned I would not be able to find a reviewer who had the expertise I desired. When my capstone professor suggested I speak to a particular professor, I was extremely nervous to reach out. They don’t even know who I am, so why would they even want to assist me? Come to find out: it was never that serious! Staff and faculty do not care if they only met you in passing or if an email is the first encounter, as long as you approach respectfully, curiously, and politely, they love to connect and/or assist if their schedule allows. Putting yourself out there can feel daunting and scary, but once you do it, you will not regret it.

As stated earlier, Heller is a place of many different people from all across world, representing 62 countries! When in a space this culturally diverse, it is easy for differences to arise in the way you may speak, write, present, and connect. While I love the staff and faculty, it was my peers who taught me the importance of creating safe spaces in the classroom, in organizational roles, and within the larger Heller community. No one should ever feel as if they are less than or behind because they do not have the same culture or cultural understanding as someone else. To me, creating safe spaces means: 1) acknowledging someone’s culture respectfully, and not making someone feel uncomfortable if they write or speak a certain way, 2) remembering that everyone’s background is different, so just because you believe or know something, that does not make the other person incorrect, and 3) never belittle someone for not knowing, teach them instead. As some who constantly practices creating safe spaces, coming to a small diverse program like Heller challenges me to always treat others the way I want to be treated and to embrace not only my own culture/background, but to do the same with my peers as well.

This blog is typically out of scope of what I normally chat about, so thank you for taking the time to reflect a little about my graduate school journey :). Thank you Heller, for the last two years. I have grown not just as an academic but as a overall better person.

Event Recap: Heller Alumni Networking Night

April 4, 2023 / rclark / 0 Comments

Ronunique Clark, MPP’23

Last week I had the opportunity to invite one of the graduate assistants from the Heller Career Development Center, Nijimbere Lahayiloyi, to step into the admissions blog room to provide us with more insights of what the career development center is, breaking any myths about the career development center, and how the team can be benefititial to you and your career goals. This week I had the amazing opportunity to attend the Career Development Center Alumni Networking Night!

The Alumni Networking Night is a space for current Heller students and Heller alumni across all our programs to connect with one another as Alumni to share their expertise, insight, stories, and connections. This year’s Networking Night was hosted at Time Out Market in Boston, near Fenway; if you have never been, I highly suggest that you write this one on your list of places to try. The Time Out Market has an array of food and drink options to choose from— my favorite of the night was the sushi bar GoGo Ya, and the most delicious mushroom bento bowl I have ever tasted in my life. Oooooh, my mouth is watering just remembering it! But enough about the food, you will just have to try it to believe me, let’s talk about the set up.

What I liked most about the Networking Night this year versus last year is that Time Out Market has tons of space. Instead of shuffling to around to meet an alumni and yelling over one another, you are able to find a location on the outside (weather permitting) or inside the location. This gives you the opportunity to connect one on one with Alumni, or even in small groups if you like, without the worry that the person standing directly beside you can’t hear you. Having so much space to freelance is very helpful because you do not have to feel the pressure of being too crowded, or if it becomes a little overwhelming for you, then you are able to sneak away and give yourself a break if needed.

Let’s not forget, however, that this night is about networking: meeting with alumni who were in the same program as you and possibly working in the career field you could be interested in. But let’s not limit ourselves here, right? Even if you do not have the chance to meet with an alumni who is directly connected with your program, most Alumni have connections to people within in your field of study or work. You know what I love to say: closed mouths don’t get what? Fed! So never stop yourself from having fruitful conversations with people all because what they have on paper doesn’t match what you have on paper. You never know who knows what and who knows who.

Another amazing part of Networking Night is that not only do you have the chance to network with alumni but also it is the perfect opportunity to network with your classmates as well. Being at Heller, sometimes we can get really caught up in just being around our own program’s cohort majority of the time. The Networking Night provides you with the space to finally be able to engage with your peers across the different programs that Heller has to offer. You can learn more about why your classmates decided to join Heller, what are some interesting classes they have taken so far, have they participated in any field practicums or internships, or just enjoy each others openness and presence at the event. Your peers are your first chance at showcasing your networking skills, so connect with your classmates and utilize one another as a support and resource.

I really enjoyed myself at the Networking Night and can not wait to see how future Networking Nights go for the Career Development Center at The Heller School. Thanks to everyone for making this event happen, and I will truly miss being able to apart of this experience hoping I can return as an alumni who shares their stories, insights, and connections :).

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.”

Holidays at Heller

December 15, 2022 / amendez / 0 Comments

Andy Mendez, MBA/SID’23

Holidays in graduate school are a bittersweet time. On the one hand, it’s a welcome reprieve from the intensity of the schoolwork grind and a chance to reconnect with loved ones back home. On the other hand, for many international and out-of-state students, going home for the holidays is not always feasible financially or due to the distance. Personally, my hometown is a 16 hour drive from the university or a $400+ roundtrip airplane ticket so, both this year and last year, I have had to choose between going home for the November break or going home for New Year’s instead.

With this in mind, the Heller Student Association started a Friendsgiving tradition to bring students together for a time of community, gratitude, and fun. The Heller Student Association is a student working group dedicated to amplifying the diverse voices of the student body and meaningfully contributing to decisions that affect students’ time at the Heller School.

This year, about 30 students gathered on the afternoon of Friday, November 25th in the Zinner Forum for our 2022 Friendsgiving Celebration. We spent the first half hour of the event playing board games, teaching each other new card games, filling out coloring sheets, and writing positive messages on a big poster board to the tune of a Charlie Brown holiday playlist on Spotify. Connect4 and Exploding Kittens stood out as the crowd favorites. At 12:30pm sharp, we gathered around three long tables for a feast from Boston Market resplendent with macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes and gravy, rotisserie chicken, cornbread, and apple pie. Before digging in, we went around the table sharing things that we were grateful for. Unsurprisingly, student after student cited the friendships they’d made at Heller and the welcoming campus community as top of their gratitude list. Since the event was open to students from all of Heller’s programs, many new friendships were formed as people from different programs interacted for the first or maybe second time.

After lunch, we had a very spontaneous and impromptu karaoke session, which was dominated by 90s boy band singles, Taylor Swift classics, and a few Latin tunes. Students were able to take home tons of food to feed themselves and their roommates over the holiday weekend. While the organizers were perfectly happy to handle the take-down and clean-up process themselves, every single attendee pitched in to fold tables, remove chairs, and take out trash. It was such a perfect picture of the spirit that is so indicative of the Heller community. I left the event feeling refreshed and grateful for all the people who contribute to making the Heller School the place that it is.

Meet My Cohort: Brian Stanley

October 20, 2022 / rclark / 0 Comments

Ronunique Clark, MPP’23

Are you guys still with me in this mini blog series of Meet My Cohort? I hope you are! Huge thank you to Hannah Wilcove for stepping into the admissions blog room. Next up in this series is truly one of my favorite cohort mates in this program. Super honored to be able to sit down and chat with Brian Stanley. Brian is 25 years old, from Clifton Park, New York, and in 2019 he graduated from Boston University (hey fellow Terrier) with a bachelors in Political Science and minor in Sociology. He is currently a 2nd year Master of Public Policy candidate concentrating in Environmental Justice.

What did you do before coming to Heller?

Brian Stanley, MPP’23

Before Heller I was working at the AIDS Action Committee, which was a branch of Fenway Health. I was working as a high-need, low-income HIV case manager for Essex County, basically everything above Boston. I had a case load of about 50 people and I was the only arm of Fenway there, so I was living in Salem for two years: I started this job in 2019 and left in 2021 before starting this program. In addition to this, I was also working in food service at the time, largely because being a case manager doing social service work with a bachelors degree isn’t the greatest pay, and living in Salem, you wouldn’t be able to live off just that. Aside from the difficulty in having to work two jobs, they were both fulfilling opportunities and both of these experiences informed my route today. It was different crowds of people administratively, professionally, and socially.

Why did you choose Heller?

I applied to a lot of programs and this was one of the few policy programs I applied to. I felt between the faculty and Heller’s messaging that even if the experience was not going to be what I expected it to be, that there would be people here with the same interests in environmental, social justice and equity. Prioritizing these interests in different ways, so even if the program wasn’t what I expected it to be I knew the connections and network I would build will still be a solid motivation to continue on in the program. Like the other programs I was applying for I did not think their messaging was on point enough, their diversity statements and program directors did not have that same inclusive language, and I mean it could all be a front, but I think people who would be attractive to these certain elements in a program are the people I would vibe with. I also looked at Heller’s institutes which demonstrated their values and that someone here wasn’t just doing the talk but also walking the walk. I felt like that was another green flag, once again even if the program wasn’t what I expected, I knew there were faculty, staff, and students doing the work is what I can vibe with.

What is your favorite class at Heller?

I hate to be a repeat to Hannah, but my favorite class was Policy Approaches to Gender Based Violence taught by Kaitie Chakoian. The course was really phenomenal: it broke down real complex human concepts around violence, recovery, and healing in ways that were both accessible and still human. I feel some of the other courses here have difficulty translating what it means to be worthy of justice, integrity, and human value to something we can understand. Then we end up in language of federalism when we could be in the language of human terms, but Kaitie really broke down concepts well, she was engaging, and she provide extensive feedback on assignments, which I think highlighted her excellence and commitment to excellence. Super phenomenal and probably my favorite.

What was your most challenging class at Heller?

Thinking about this I break into two categories. I think for me, first, it would be Practicing Social Justice Philanthropy: Purpose, Practice, and Problems taught by Celeste Reid Lee and Sheryl Seller class directly out of the Sillerman Center for the Advancement of Philanthropy. It was intellectually challenging because I did not know anything from this field: I did not understand how philanthropy can relate to social justice, or even if philanthropy could relate to social justice. I thought the speakers were phenomenal but I did find the course to be challenging because of the materials. However, the instructors from the Sillerman Center were amazing in the way they coordinated the course, feedback on material, and really broke down a lot of the concepts. For me, another layer of challenging is a course I am taking right now, which is Environmental and Climate Justice taught by Prakash Kashwan. It is actually a undergraduate class I am taking. The reason why this class is challenging is because its a undergraduate course, and the instructor is working to engage meaningfully with everyone, who are all from different academic levels, and the assignment structures are very different. It’s a lot of reading response, with week to week assignments, which in some ways it becomes regurgitating information instead of synthesizing it so its a completely different flow. He is integrating some elements of graduate courses such as take home exam options to synthesize material and the way he teaches information is wonderful and his linkages of decolonization, capitalism, and climate change is astounding. He himself is great but the structure of the course is what I find challenging.

What are your plans after Heller?

I think I’m going to work on deciding between a career in research versus a career in something on the ground. I do not have anything concrete yet I have been applying though! These are all opportunities to say the least, eventually I may want to pursue a PhD, but I have to really nail down what is worth doing with the limit time that I do have. So for me that is trying to figure out where do my moral and ethics align, because I know ultimately they align with community, justice, and equity, but I have to figure out my role in that conversation. It reminds me of the quote from Audre Lorde, “the masters tools will never dismantles the master’s house” and so like how do you embody that with a masters degree in public policy, right? I have no idea, but I am really excited to find out what that looks like and surrounding myself with people who are dealing with these questions.

Any advice you would like to give prospective students?

It is very critical to give yourself to give yourself as many options as you can because things that you decide are worth doing are worth doing and no matter what decision you’re making, you will think something else may be worth it differently. I think committing yourself to principle of what you want to do and what you want to be are fundamental to succeeding anywhere. So giving yourself the most options, applying to every program, speaking to faculty, and dealing with research is what I would say is the best choice. The worst thing you could do is do one thing and feel trapped. That’s how you lose drive in a program or drive in future decision. Give yourself space to fail, there is literally no one at this school or in this program that has been committed to something 100% percent and all the time. When it comes down to it, you need to be more committed to what those principles are, even if its just making more money in the future, you need to decide if its worth it. That’s my two cents.

Thank you Brian, for stepping into the admission blog room, it is always a pleasure to have a conversation with you! What a fulfilling way to now lead us into a brief intermission of my mini blog series “Meet My Cohort”, but don’t worry I will be back with some more of my classmates and their stories.

Get Involved! The Value of Student Working Groups

July 12, 2022 / amendez / 0 Comments

Andy Mendez, MBA/SID’23

A university is not only defined by its ranking, degree programs, or faculty members. It is also defined by the quality and vibrancy of its campus community. When I was in undergrad, I worked 31 hours a week in the EdTech department. While I absolutely loved this experience, working this many hours as a full-time student meant that I did not have as much of a chance to become involved in the many student organizations on campus. Coming to Heller for graduate school gave me a second chance to get involved in the campus community.

To understand the landscape of graduate student working groups, I attended a variety of info sessions, as well as the Fall Student Groups Fair held in the Zinner forum. At this fair, e-board (Executive Board) members from active student groups set up a table and talked with attendees about their working group’s mission, activities, and plans for the semester. All the groups had such good energy and were involved in really interesting initiatives. I left the fair wishing there were enough hours in the day to be a part of every group!

During the lunchtime hour sometime later, I attended a follow-up info session with the Brandeis University Africa Forum (BUAF) which was led by two MBA/SID second year students, one of whom had been my TA for the summer Quantitative Fundamentals course. BUAF is a working group of African students and other members of Heller’s community who are interested in African history and the continent’s socio-economic development. Their mission is to coordinate cultural, professional, and social events to provide learning experiences, expand partnerships, and foster a sense of community on campus. I was immediately energized by the BUAF mission. A few weeks later, I was elected as Secretary and my tenure on BUAF’s e-board began!

Although I’m a dual MBA/SID student, I have only been taking one SID class a semester. This means I have not had nearly as much interaction with members of my SID cohort as I have had with students in the MBA program, who I am in the majority of classes with. Being a part of BUAF has allowed me to connect and build relationships with not only other SID students, but with graduate students from other programs who I might otherwise not have had any interactions with. BUAF allowed me to learn from other professionals who’d worked and studied on the continent. By organizing a dialogue series in collaboration with my fellow e-board members Peter Masue, Shiko Rugene, Martin Alexis and Nush Laywhyee, BUAF was able to create space for dynamic, social impact-oriented conversations about current events and their impact on the continent. So far, our Africa Speaks sessions have covered such topics as the political and economic impacts of the Russia-Ukraine war on Africa and the military conflicts in Sudan and Burkina Faso.

By far, the most rewarding aspect of my time with BUAF has been being able to experience the richness of multiple communities, including the larger graduate population at Brandeis, my fellow Heller students, and especially the black, African, and diasporic presence on campus. As a school with Jewish roots, the African community and student body may not be the first thing that comes to people’s minds when you think of Brandeis. However, the work of BUAF is helping people recognize and appreciate that this community is here. It’s active and warm and vibrant and deeply engaged in the work of creating a space outside of classes where students can connect, support each other, and have fun together!

A Spoon Full of Sugar / Applied Regression Analysis

February 17, 2022 / hannahlougheed / 0 Comments

Hannah Lougheed, MA SID/MS-GHPM’22

Richard & Robert Sherman once penned these lyrics which would later be iconically sung by Mary Poppins:

“In every job that must be done
There is an element of fun
You find the fun and snap!
The job’s a game

And every task you undertake
Becomes a piece of cake
A lark! A spree! It’s very clear to see that

A Spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
The medicine go down-wown
The medicine go down
Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
In a most delightful way”

Last summer, as I was scheduling classes for my MS-GHPM Fall degree courses, I dreaded the thought of having to take the required Applied Regression Analysis course. I so enjoy discussing theory, writing papers, and talking out big ideas; tell me to open a program and run some statistics and you will find me in a full-on cold sweat.

Fast forward to the first week of classes as I stumble into class already in a mindset of ‘just get through this’. I’m greeted by a jolly man (pun intended as he has a slight resemblance to Santa Claus) who shares that he will do his best to make this course more enjoyable. I am still a bit hesitant and am thinking, ‘sure, I’ve heard that before. Good luck holding my interest in statistics!’. This medicine did not seem like it would go down easily – think coughing, bad taste, acid reflux and all.

Right off the bat, he had a warm and non-threatening presence. He made jokes, told stories, and was clearly extremely well versed in statistics. Somehow, over the course of just a few weeks, I was feeling extremely confident in my regression analysis abilities. The pace of the class was manageable, the assignments were not overwhelming, and I grew to look forward to the course. I went from having almost no data analysis skills to confidentially crafting a final paper analyzing univariate, bivariate, and multivariate models, improving the models, and creating a logit model predicting probabilities using real data processed through Stata. I was so proud of myself when I submitted that final paper!

As I now reflect on that entire experience over the semester, that Mary Poppins song came to mind: Professor Steve Fournier was the spoon full of sugar that helped the medicine go down! I knew I needed to brush up on my data analysis skills, but I avoided it at all costs because I thought it would be too challenging. He not only made it understandable and clear, but made me genuinely enjoy the learning process.

So, if you are afraid of challenging yourself in a new skill, or even applying for a program like MS GHPM with a focus on data please know professors here at Brandeis want to see you succeed – not fail. I am a testament to that fact as I took Regression and not only survived, but thrived!

If you’re reading this: thank you, Professor Fournier! You were excellent!

The Heller Student Association

January 6, 2022 / hannahlougheed / 0 Comments

Hannah Lougheed, MA SID/MS-GHPM’22

When I decided that Heller was the right place for me, I also decided right then and there to make sure I took advantage of the opportunities to get involved on campus and with my peers. For some, it looks like joining a hiking club, proactively sitting in a public space to engage in conversations with others, or to be intentional with being active in a WhatsApp group chat. Whatever involvement flavor you feel most comfortable with, there is an opportunity here at Heller for you to get involved.

I have always been drawn to governing boards – be it in student council in high-school, an honors club in undergrad, or – currently – as a co-chair for the Heller Student Association. It has always been important for me to feel that my voice was heard when I spoke up, and I have learned that governing bodies such as the HSA really do work well to amplify the voices of those they serve. Upon completing our first “Town Hall” it served as a good reflection point for me (hence me blogging about it today).

The mission and vision of the Heller Student Association (also referred to as ‘HSA’) is:

“to take a holistic approach on understanding and empowerment in all of our educations through a focus on cross-collaboration between students, working groups, professors and staff at Heller. The mission of the HSA is to participate meaningfully in decisions affecting student’s time at Heller. We will amplify the voices of the student body by bringing your input to the faculty, administration, career services, staff, steering committees and program directors whom we meet with regularly.”

So how is this relevant for you, dear blog reader? Well, if you are currently a student at Heller, know you always have access to a group that will work to amplify your voice – so long as it aligns with the aforementioned mission and vision of the organization. And, if you are a student considering Heller, know that the voices of you and your peers are taken seriously when/if you join this family. The faculty and staff at Heller have a great working relationship with the Heller Student Association and value our presence. As a Co-Chair, me and my fearless Co (shoutout to Zari) have the opportunity to listen and offer input on the students’ behalf at meetings that do not typically hold a student presence. We are not there just to check the “is a student present?” box. No, we are instead actively engaged in conversations that effect students.

All of this to say, if you’re wondering what it looks like to be in concert with the faculty and administration as a student, the Heller Student Association is a great example of that. Also, Heller has a wide variety of student groups that go far beyond being an advocacy/governing body. So, if your comfort for involvement includes joining an organization, consider the Heller Student Association!

Professor Spotlight: Marji Erickson Warfield and Lisa Lynch

December 28, 2021 / daniellalevine / 0 Comments

Daniella Levine, MPP ’21

Too often in academia, you get stuck learning from a tenured professor who is out of touch with students (Netflix plug – The Chair). I attended a liberal arts university for my undergraduate degree, which allotted me the flexibility on the courses I took, choosing based on interest and professor ratings. So when entering into a more structured degree program, I was nervous about my ability to connect both with the required material and the professors.

I am about to finish my third semester at Heller, with a total of seven required courses under my belt and I have only good things to say about my time so far (taking into account that I completed six of those courses online due to the pandemic). Each professor adapted and modified their courses to support and uplift students while we were completely virtual, and have found ways to engage students who join class virtually during our current hybrid semester.

But I would be remiss if I told you I didn’t have favorites. Marji Erickson Warfield and Lisa Lynch have taken two subjects that many might cower away from and made the material accessible, entertaining and informative. In a degree that attracts policy-driven individuals, more tactical courses like research methods and economic theory can be daunting at the onset. I am in awe of the intellect and integrity both professors hold. Dr. Marji Erickson Warfield is a Senior Scientist and Lecturer at Heller. Her work is designed to understand and evaluate ways to promote the well-being of children, youth and young adults with disabilities and the adaptation of their families. Dr. Lisa Lynch is the Maurice B. Hexter Professor of Social and Economic Policy at Heller. She is a Brandeis powerhouse and focuses her research on labor markets, unemployment, and organizational Innovation.

Both Marji and Lisa found ways to enliven subjects that might come off as dry and teach in such a way that makes the material not only understandable but demonstrate how it’s applicable to my professional goals. On top of their in-class work, they are wholly available to students outside of the classroom, through office hour appointments, events on campus and personalized emails with news or opportunities that match your specific policy interests. I have never felt like blank face in a sea of students; they go out of their way to chat in the halls and contribute to student-led initiatives. I am grateful to both professors for their inclusive teaching, and to Heller for prioritizing the hiring of such great faculty.

Heller Admissions Blog

Tag: Campus Connections (page 1 of 3)

Event recap: Waffles and Wellness

True Life: Reflections of 2nd Year Graduate Student

Event Recap: Heller Alumni Networking Night

Heller 2023 Winter Highlights

Meet My Cohort: Brian Stanley

Get Involved! The Value of Student Working Groups

A Spoon Full of Sugar / Applied Regression Analysis

The Heller Student Association

Professor Spotlight: Marji Erickson Warfield and Lisa Lynch

Recent Posts

Categories

Archives

Most Popular Tags

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

Archives

Categories

Most Popular Tags

Meta

Ping