Student Profiles

Drew Orsinger

As the protective security advisor for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in Chicago, Drew Orsinger coordinates security vulnerability assessments and interacts with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. A graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, Orsinger served as an officer in the U.S. Coast Guard, where he focused on security and immigration issues and enjoyed a stint at the Clinton White House. He picked up additional security experience as a watch commander for U.S. Customs and Border Protection. An accomplished athlete and seven-time All-American in the pole vault, Orsinger coaches track at his high school alma mater, St. Ignatius. He even found time to coauthor a well-received book about Chicago firehouse dogs. "The one thing that's missing from my résumé is a master's degree," says Orsinger. "I'm already working at a senior level, but a degree from Northwestern will help solidify my professional career long-term."

In the MPPA program, where he is specializing in safety and security, Orsinger is discovering new ways to examine issues he deals with in his work. "I've learned to look more strategically at practical issues," says Orsinger. In a course on national security Orsinger addressed the impact of the stimulus package on infrastructure protection, reading all 680 pages of the package, something he says he would not have done before entering the MPPA. "The program gives me the opportunity to fine-tune what I'm doing at work and to get more involved," says Orsinger. "Public service is important to me, and the program gives me a better sense of my own purpose."

Julie Henning

"To effectively administer good public policy you have to understand how it's created and how it's implemented. The MPPA program showed me those connections." With an undergraduate degree in economics and management, Julie Henning planned to work as a business consultant and then earn an MBA. But when the dot-com bubble burst, eliminating her job, Henning applied her financial skills to a field she had never considered: government. As an environmental protection specialist for the Environmental Protection Agency, Henning helps assess and develop initiatives to improve air and water quality. "Government service gives me a good feeling. It's not just about making money - it's about making things better," says Henning, who liked government service so much she rethought her educational goals.

Northwestern's MPPA program offered everything Henning wanted: a flexible schedule that allows her to work full time; an emphasis on policy as well as administration; and a faculty grounded in the practice of government. One of her instructors, Cook County Commissioner Forrest Claypool, brought in guest speakers David Axelrod and Arne Duncan, who now work near the Oval Office. Politician Dan Seals offered a behind-the-scenes look at the legislative process, and MPPA faculty director Greg Kuhn examined policy implementation failures. "Seeing where public policy comes from and the obstacles it faces makes me a better civil servant," says Henning. "I know how to be more effective and what I'd like to accomplish in the future."

David Browne
MPPA student, public policy specialization

At age 24 David Browne has an impressive résumé: a bachelors degree in business and communications from Lake Forest College; fluency in Hindi and Urdu; an internship with the office of Senator Barack Obama (D-IL); and work experience at JPMorgan Chase Bank in Des Plaines, Illinois.

Q: How did you segue from banking to public policy?

DB: I was a volunteer at the Indo-American Center in Chicago, where I taught civics courses to prepare recent immigrants for the U.S. citizenship exam. I found a different level of satisfaction in helping members of the community begin a new life in the United States.

Q: Why did you enroll in the MPPA program?

DB: I believe I can have a more direct impact working in public policy than in other areas. I like that our professors are practitioners in the field - that's really important when you're in an applied field. They put the book aside and say, "This is what I did." You can't get that real-life perspective from a book.

Q: What are your classmates like?

DB: They have diverse backgrounds and a range of ages. Most are working in the field and share their experience and networking opportunities. A classmate told me about the internship with Senator Obama's office and encouraged me to apply.

Q: What's your capstone project?

DB: For Scope and Dynamics of Public Policy I wrote a research paper on the proposed O'Hare expansion project - I live close to the airport, so it's a policy issue that will impact me very directly. It was a great class, and the instructor, Greg Kuhn, suggested I expand that paper into my capstone project. The O'Hare expansion has become a conflict between private businesses and small communities; as policy makers we have to listen to all sides in the decision-making process.

Jessica Blazier

After studying business at a small Midwestern liberal arts school, Jessica Blazier worked for a few years, teaching athletics to children in low-income neighborhoods. The health problems she saw among her students led to her interest in health policy studies at SCS.

JB: I realized how much work there is to do in this area. I would see kids who were sick constantly, many with asthma and severe weight issues. I wondered why. These were problems that could be prevented, and I became really interested in how I could help.

Q: What made SCS the right choice for your studies?

JB: I looked around at different programs, and I liked that a school of Northwestern's caliber had a part-time health policy program that was right on target. That made the choice easy for me.

Q: What has been your biggest challenge in the program?

JB: Probably balancing school with work and internships. The fact that it is a part-time program makes it possible to give my studies enough attention without worrying about paying the bills. It can get to be a lot, but the professors understand that we're working students.

Q: Do you like the professors you've had?

JB: Yes - they're accessible, very experienced and easy to talk with. And very passionate about the subject matter.

Q: How big are classes?

JB: They are really small, so the instructors usually make classes more discussion-oriented. The students have a wide range of insights, and I've been learning a lot from them.

Q: How do you plan to use your degree?

JB: When I graduate, I'll look for a position in program evaluation for a city or county agency, and eventually look for a health policy analyst position.

Q: What have you been doing in your internship?

JB: I'm analyzing the results of a study of residents from a low-income Chicago neighborhood about their children's access to primary healthcare.

Q: That sounds similar to the interests that initially led you to the program.

JB: Yes. As an SCS student, I was able to find an internship that closely matched my interests.

Kevin Kilmer

Kevin Kilmer's work in the Master of Arts in Public Policy and Administration program has led him to an internship with Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, and aspirations to one day own his own political consulting firm.

KK: The classes in this program are very specific to the kind of work I want to do - they've shown me what the options are in my field. For example, my Interest Groups professor brought hands-on experience to the classroom - which is a definite advantage for a class like this because there are so many external variables affecting the success of legislation. It was great having someone explain it in real-world terms.

Q: Was the experience of the faculty the reason you chose this program?

KK: It was one of the major selling points, yes. But students bring some of that real-world perspective to the classroom, too. There are congressional aids in my program, people who work for publishing companies and special interest groups, researchers for different nonprofit organizations. Taken together, the students create an amazing classroom dynamic.

Q: What has the experience of returning to school meant to you?

KK: It was very rewarding to see how easily I was able to jump back into class after having been away so long. It was daunting at first, coming from a small Iowa college and now attending Northwestern. But the professor helped to cultivate a very positive and friendly environment, and I did well. Looking back, I realize what a big accomplishment that was. It gave me a lot of confidence and instilled in me a work ethic that has followed me through the program. Last quarter I took another class I expected to struggle with, and I did well again. That made me realize how well prepared I've become to take my career to the next level.

Stephen Allred

In 2004, Steve Allred began working toward his master's in public policy and administration. He says that in public policy, it's important to approach an issue from different perspectives in order to fully understand the ways in which it can be interpreted and applied. That's exactly what he did when considering graduate programs.

SA: I wanted to do something to position myself for a career that would fulfill my interests. I'd been debating going back to school for a while and I looked into other programs, but Northwestern's reputation and the resources of SCS solidified my decision. I especially liked the course selection offered in the health-care policy area. I realized that these courses were exactly what I needed to help me reach my goals, and at that point I didn't have any more excuses for postponing my graduate studies.

Q: So this will be a career change for you?

SA: I hope so. I'm currently a financial analyst for Accenture, and it wasn't that long ago that I was at Notre Dame, not knowing what I wanted to do. But after three years of experience in the real world, I feel a lot more prepared now than I would have been right out of Notre Dame. And I think the MPPA program will give me the necessary tools and knowledge to help me successfully market myself to the healthcare industry.

Q: What have been your impressions of the program so far?

SA: I think the diverse backgrounds of the students make for lively dialogue in class. Sometimes their perspectives on public policy are different from mine, but that challenges me to consider some alternate views. I think that SCS expects a certain amount of excellence from its students, and I like that-I want a school that will challenge me so that I can better myself.