What were you doing before the MPA?
Before the MPA, I taught in a state secondary school in London with the programme Teach First, whose mission is to close the attainment gap between poor and wealthy students. I had also worked previously in international development, management consulting and journalism.
Why did you choose the MPA programme at LSE?
An MPA appealed to me as a way of moving into policy work, where I hoped to focused on social policy and education. I felt that the LSE MPA programme would develop my understanding of economics and my quantitative analysis skills that would enable me to more thoughtfully engage in policy-making, and help me to tie together my different areas of interest and experience. Another strength of the LSE MPA is the fact that it is in London (my hometown and a very fun city) and takes advantage of its location, through its wealth of public lectures, guest lectures on courses by practitioners and the Capstone project.
What has been your favourite aspect of the programme?
The international nature of the MPA cohort and LSE in general. It has been amazing to get to know people from all over the world - it makes discussions about policy issues so much more rich and insightful. I also now have many places in the world where I can go visit a friend! Learning econometrics was also very valuable and created quite a shift in how I consider policy problems.
What do you plan to do next?
I will be starting a role in the UK civil service from September, rotating through a few different Departments before I choose my specialism. So in the near future I will be based in the UK, but I am keen to also work abroad again!
What would be your top tip for an incoming student?
Make the most of your interesting and diverse peers - two years goes very quickly! Enjoy the experience and don’t get stressed about studying. You’re encouraged to work together and do this - it will help you manage your workload and will be more fun. The friendships you will make are a valuable part of the MPA experience. Also take advantage of LSE’s public lectures, its language courses and the exciting research by centres like the IGC and CASE.