I am honored to receive a scholarship from PLEN, which was made possible through the generous support of my co-sponsors Barbara Kline and Michael E. Dunn. I learned about PLEN during my freshman year, but didn’t know if the Women’s Leadership in Public Policy Seminar would be right for me, as I had never considered a career in public policy. However, Susan Tabrizi, the Chair and Associate Professor of Political Science at Wells College, told me the worst thing that could happen during the seminar would be that I would not want to pursue a career in public policy. At the end of the seminar, the best thing happened instead: I discovered that I want to pursue a career in public policy.
PLEN has taught me that there is no right or wrong way to have a career. The accomplished women who met with us on various panels and at networking events have different levels of education and various jobs in the private and public sectors, yet each speaker has a successful public policy career. I always thought that I would go to law school to become a Civil Rights Litigator and an Advocate, but I now realized that I am more interested in advocacy after attending the seminar. I am excited to pursue my options in the world of public policy, and I am considering obtaining my Masters in Public Policy while working for a think-tank or nonprofit organization after graduation, rather than obtaining my Juris Doctor degree.
If you are passionate about making a difference in the world, but don’t know which policy issue you want to focus on or your career options, the Women’s Leadership in Public Policy Seminar can help you see all the opportunities available to you.
Laura Allard received a scholarship sponsored by Barbara Kline and Michael E. Dunn to attend the 2015 Women's Leadership in Public Policy seminar. She graduated from Wells College in 2016.