What brought you to Heller?
In researching programs, Heller was the only school that I saw that was predicated on social justice and very explicitly dedicated to forming a basis of knowledge on justice and equality. I knew this was the place where I could further my understanding of both policy and changemaking while focusing on my primary area of interest, poverty alleviation.
How did your Heller education prepare you for a career in policy?
The MPP helped me think a lot about policy analysis and implementation, and how policies would be best suited for communities, especially those that are overlooked. While I was political director for Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz's gubernatorial campaign in Massachusetts, I helped Senator Chang-Diaz think through her approach to policy and her platform’s messaging.
Later, as Director of Federal Relations in Mayor Michelle Wu's office, I weighed in on our strategy and the agenda. Mayor Wu is a leader within not just American politics, but also within the AAPI community, so we also were thinking about her role specific to our community and its needs. For example, it's well documented that Boston’s Chinatown is the single hottest location in terms of temperature, and one of the most polluted areas in the city of Boston. This is due to federal highways that were built around and through Chinatown that have created a lot of the respiratory issues and cancer rates that exist in the community. It’s a justice issue and a policy failure on the city, state and federal government in a community that is often overlooked. During my time in this role, we were able to procure funding from President Biden's Infrastructure Reduction Act to rethink and reshape what the highway would look like, which became the Reconnecting Chinatown Grant.
I currently serve as Director of Government Relations for The Asian American Foundation (TAAF), the single largest funder for AAPI nonprofits across the country. We work very closely with mayors, state officials, the White House and members of Congress to address nuanced problems with major impact. Last year, we started a flagship program called TAAF Cities that involves working on private-public partnerships both with our corporate partners and city governments. We started in Seattle and have since expanded to New York and will be going to San Francisco and Los Angeles next year. Ultimately, this will be a national initiative. The Social Impact MBA coursework at Heller prepared me for the challenges that are presented, especially operating within a nonprofit space.
What impact did the Heller community have on your overall experience?
The caliber of student that Heller attracts really pushes both your intellectual curiosity and perspective. Everyone is there because they believe in justice and equality. They also bring very diverse backgrounds that enrich the overall learning experience. Every professor that I came across had such depth of knowledge and care. I never felt like I got lost in the numbers—I felt seen and supported along the way. Professor Mike Doonan had a huge impact on me, and Jess Santos, my advisor, has championed me both during and after the program.
What advice do you have for current Heller MPP students?
Learn about the implementation process. If a policy isn’t implemented correctly, what may seem like justice and the best solution can have an incredibly negative impact. It’s one thing to offer a grand solution, but if you're not able to deliver on it, the residual impact that it has on the community is profound and creates more distrust towards the government and policymakers.
Also, take advantage of the opportunity to learn different perspectives at Heller. Be an active member of the community—spend time listening and learning to your peers. That goes beyond Heller—spend time with the people you’re trying to serve. The way to make a difference is by understanding the people you want to help and their real needs.
What advice do you have for prospective Heller students?
Come with an open mind. As policymakers, I think we should always be enriching our understanding of the world. That means talking to people we disagree with, listening to new perspectives and always trying to grow in different ways. Now, more than ever, we need people with not just the brightest minds but the biggest hearts to be working on policy—people who have a strong sense of justice and morality to ensure that we're strengthening our future.