Jessica graduated from the MPP program in 2021. She works at UNM as a Program Planning Officer for student success and is the inaugural UNM program Fellow for the University Innovation Alliance, a consortium of universities dedicated to increasing the number and diversity of college graduates in the United States.  Jessica also worked as a Fiscal Analyst and Program Evaluator for the New Mexico Legislative Finance Committee where she gained invaluable legislative and policy experience. She is from Albuquerque, NM and received her bachelor’s degree in Sociology from UNM. She chose the MPP because it tied together her academic and applied policy interests, and it helped her to better understand the world around her. She plans to use these skills to shape real world outcomes and policies, she feels that this is very special because the impacts are measurable. Her best memories of the program will be the students in her cohort and she says that she misses the group chat. Jessica wants to use her degree to make a difference in her community by driving research and policy work that addresses social inequities. She would like to thank all her mentors, professors, and colleagues who have helped her on her journey; her family and friends for supporting her and always believing in her.

Check out Jessica's MPP Blog.