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| Jeremy Ball Class of 2017 |
This past February I was given the amazing opportunity to travel to Cambridge for Harvard Kennedy School’s Public Policy and Leadership Conference. After advancing through the application process to be 1 of 53 students selected nationwide, I was welcome to Harvard’s campus for one of the most rewarding experiences I have been a part of since beginning college. While on campus, for the first time, I was introduced to the idea of going to graduate school to obtain a Masters in Public Policy (MPP), and for the first time, the idea of attending law school wasn’t so certain.
My time at the Kennedy School truly opened up my eyes to the different possibilities for students interested in working in the government, and to what specific fields I may want to specialize in my work. There’s no doubt in my mind I want to be involved in the political process in some way, whether it’s law or working in DC. However, the idea of learning the skills to write and implement public policy was something I had never given much previous thought. One of the most prominent programing points of the weekend was to introduce driven students with a passion for public service to the field of public policy, and specifically to take what specific things “anger you” in this world and how to address those through policy making.
Apart from this aspect, I was given the opportunity to network with students from across the country. I saw the drive for students to fight against education inequality and poverty in the United States, people with a passion for international development, and those who had the desire to fight for racial equality on all fronts. My time at Harvard truly inspired me in numerous ways and opened my eyes at all that I could achieve. I would sincerely recommend any college freshman or sophomore applying for this program this fall, as the opportunities that result from it are endless. And while I’ll always love my Cardinals above all, I know have a special place for the Crimsons.
Jeremy Ball is a sophomore McConnell Scholar at the University of Louisville. He studies political science and economics.