Archive for SIPA Students of Color

Getting Involved in Campus – Inside and Outside SIPA

Of course, you’re thinking of applying to SIPA for all the great classes climate policy and impact investing we have and all the super smart professors butttttt…….you might be forgetting something……

THE PEOPLE!!!!!!!

The people at SIPA is one of SIPA’s best attributes. The people here are awesome and one very important way to meet more people is getting involved in campus groups and student life!!!! I myself, am the Communications and Marketing Chair of SIPA Students of Color, aka, I tell people in SIPA about the events and talks we are having as well as spending a lot of time looking up memes for newsletters. Due to this role, I have met some cool people who I am glad to say are very good friends (awwww <33).

There are many great student organizations here, some of which include Digital & Cyber Group, Migration Working Group and SIPA Pan-African Network. Anything you are interested in policy-wise, you can find it at SIPA. And if you can’t find it, you can start a new group. You’ll soon be drowning in events with interesting guests including diplomats, CEOs, managers, policymakers and more!

Now SIPA is lovely and all, but you may need a break from the International Affairs Building – seriously, we spend a lot of time here – and it’s important to get out of the SIPA bubble and meet people from other schools.

Columbia University Life is always throwing events that bring together students from different graduate schools. Last year, I met students from Columbia Business School and Columbia Law School at a Latin Student Mixer. Every now and then, I go to talks/events/panels at Maison Francaise/Journalism School/Law School/[other schools that are not SIPA] to meet students from other fields of study and get a feel of something other than international affairs and economics. There are so many cool things going at SIPA that it is easy to forget how much is happening across Columbia University and at the other schools here. I sign up for a lot of experiments so I have met postdocs at the Zuckerman Institute as well.

This is all to say that class is great, but don’t forget that a big part of your grad school experience will be the people you meet. SIPA and Columbia in general have A LOT of interesting people to meet. Remember to take a break from schoolwork and wander around campus, go to different buildings and explore. The University Life app will keep you up to date about what is going on around campus so pay attention to it!

Being a First-Generation Latina at Columbia SIPA

Thanks to Karla Henriquez MPA ’19 for this post, in response to a topic submitted by Adam B. Submit your idea for a blog post here.


“I got into Columbia!” I told my mom. She did not quite know what that meant. “Obama graduated from there.”

“Ah que bueno,” she said to me.

But she still did not understand what it meant for a first-generation Latina to be accepted into an Ivy League. And to be honest, neither did I.

I would break down the process of going to grad school into four steps: Goal setting, before applying, the application process, and your time in grad school.  Each have their own different sets of challenges. Let me break down what it meant to apply for grad school as a first-gen:

1) Goal setting: 

Write your goals down and they will manifest. It is a simple step, but one that helped me know what I needed to do to get where I wanted to. My goals were:

  1. Prepare for the GRE
  2. Take the GRE
  3. Apply for Grad School
  4. Move out of California

Those were the goals that got me to where I am today. I wrote them down and worked towards them.

2) Before Applying

While I would like to forget about the GRE, it is an important step in the process. Don’t let that stop you from trying.

One of my friends who was going through her first year of law school told me, “The GRE is just a number. Don’t let that define you, you have so much more to offer than just a number.” I took that to heart and prepared as best as I could for the GRE, but also did not limit my options because of a score.

There are affordable options to prepare for it. One thing that I would recommend is to identify what works for you. If you’re great at working on your own, Magoosh is a great option, it’s affordable and they provide you with a whole schedule you can follow. If you need more structure, a class might be best (that’s what I did, it took me some time to save but it helped me set time aside to dedicate to studying).

To figure out the program that fits more with your goals, I would recommend attending the Idealist graduate fairs . Not only are schools there to answer all your questions, but you can also get a feel of the different programs offered at the schools. Another great thing about fairs and attending a school’s open house is that some schools waive application fees. That can be extremely helpful when application fees can be from $50-100 each.

3) The Application Process

I relied on a lot of my friends for help. While no one in my family had attempted this, I did have mentors from undergrad and friends who had applied to graduate school. I asked them for help reviewing my essays, my applications, for help with recommendation letters, encouragement, etc.

I applied to five schools, each with a very different application process, and I tried to start early and knock them out one at a time. I know that sometimes it’s hard to ask for help, but this is the time that we cannot be shy. Find those around you that are willing and comfortable doing this, you will see that there will be those willing to edit your whole essay and help present your best self. Talk to those that know you, to help you identify those parts of your story and professional experience that you should definitely highlight.

Guess what? I got in… to all of my schools!

It was an exciting time, but then came the time to decide. I relied on friends and family to make this decision again. One big part of this process was also money. I had saved some money from working, but I also asked my family and friends for support. My aunts and cousins helped me plan a fundraiser to get enough to cover my moving expenses and the deposit to come to school. Family and friends came over my Tia’s house one day and bought “Panes Rellenos,” a Salvadoran favorite, to help me raise money for the move. We raised around $2,000 that day and created a GoFundMe to raise more.

4) Grad School

I decided on Columbia SIPA because I felt that it would provide me with the opportunities that I did not have prior to this. While I got a chance to visit during Admitted Students’ Day, I didn’t quite know what to expect when I got here. In my mind, it would be a mix between Gossip Girl and Legally Blonde, where everyone was going to be preppy and question how a girl from a state school made it to Columbia.

I was soooo wrong. While, yes there is some of that, I was also able to find a community of people who I relied on for support and encouragement. Through SIPA Students of Color, I found classmates like me who were also first-generation, who also identified with my immigrant background, and who I did not have to explain myself to. We continued building this community by gathering over the weekends for our Women of Color brunches — a community that continued growing as the year went on.

While sometimes you will find yourself in spaces where people ask a thousand questions about what you did before school (which to be honest gets exhausting really fast), finding a community of women where it was not only about our professional goals but of who we are as people was so refreshing.

Through Columbia’s University Life – First Generation Graduate Student initiative, I was able to attend a panel of first-gen faculty where I not only felt seen, and cried as I never had, but it also felt like validation of what I was feeling. From imposter syndrome to not only doing this for yourself but also bringing your whole family with you, to sometimes not having enough money to pay rent or food — These were all things I had faced.

Going to Columbia was a whole experience, and I am not going to tell you it will be easy. As a first-generation student sometimes it’s hard to ask for help because many times you are the one person your family relies on. When things got really hard I wanted to find a way to solve things on my own, until my mom found out and asked me why I did not ask her for help. She then got my aunts together, everyone pitched in $100 or so and they helped me make sure that I had enough to cover rent.

I always thought, “She has a lot going on, I don’t want to be a burden,” but sometimes you need to let go of those thoughts and ask for help. My biggest recommendation would be to seek and ask for help. It’s okay not to have the answers to everything especially when you are used to having them in the past.

I took advantage of tutoring and the many office hours offered for Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, and Quantitative Analysis. When I did not do that great in my first exam, I spent more hours at the library.

When anxiety and sleepless nights kicked in, I took advantage of the counseling services, with many counselors being available for first-generation students. Other resources I should have taken advantage of were

  • The Food Pantry at Columbia with a mission to reduce food insecurity among students.
  • Emergency funding provided by SIPA’s Office of Student Affairs.

Last Thoughts

Never allow yourself to feel that your first-generation experience is a disadvantage. Many times in class, experiences that either my family or I have gone through were discussed. As policymakers, our unique perspectives bring a valuable point to the conversations. We have lived through things that many just read in case studies, and who is better than the people who have experienced them to solve the issues faced by our communities? I stopped seeing my experience, being a first-generation student, as a disadvantage and instead saw how my lived experience can create more inclusive policies for all.

My mom was excited to come to New York for the first time to celebrate my graduation this May. She said her coworkers all congratulated her because her daughter was graduating from Columbia. She made the trip here and I thanked her because it took her, my tias, and my friends to get me here. From pitching in $20 to help me move or pay rent, to proofreading my essays, to sending me texts of encouragement, I cannot emphasize enough that even though our families might not have a fancy Ivy League degree, they provide their support in other ways.

I hope that if you decide on Columbia, or whichever school you decide to attend, you are surrounded by a community of people who will cheer you and support you along the way.

Identity @ SIPA: Defining Who We Are

On October 25th, SIPA hosted a discussion on identity within the school. Seven fellow second-year students and I, all holding a multitude of salient identities, gathered around a table to discuss how identity plays an integral role in their experience at SIPA. Surrounded by an audience of our peers, we discussed the importance of diversity in higher education, how our identities have shifted since coming to SIPA, and the misconceptions people place on them because of their identities. The hour-long discussion ended with a Q&A session where students in the audience asked questions on the shaping of identity and shared stories of how their identities have interacted and interplayed as students at SIPA.

L-R: Katy Swartz, Karla Henriquez, Mike Drake, Maria Fernanda Avila Ruiz, Kier Joy, Maggie Wang, Lindsay Horne, Nitin Magima

One of the themes that revealed themselves over the discussion focused around many international students’ reconciliation with coming from racially/ethnically homogeneous spaces to the diversity that SIPA holds. One student discussed how in her home country in Latin America, she has always been seen as white but upon moving to America, she was seen as a person of color. Another student talked about how her citizenship identity became emphasized when she moved to SIPA. Even as a domestic student who hasn’t been in as diverse of spaces as SIPA, I can say I experienced a shift in identity where my Americanism has been emphasized as it contrasts with the dozens of different nationalities SIPA has to offer.

Students also discussed how community at SIPA has been one of their strongest support structures when facing the difficulties of grad school at SIPA. Many shared moments where they were able to lean on fellow SIPA students during hard times. This ultimately led to a discussion on the importance of allyship – for those with privilege to be able to listen, support, and advocate for those who are historically underserved and underrepresented. As the President of the Student of Color organization at our school, I’ve found that there are always non-person of color allies always willing to support our initiatives. The support system embedded within the student body at SIPA has been one of the most rewarding features of my grad school experience.

One of the coolest parts of the Identity @ SIPA event was the playlist that was created to play as students entered and left the discussion. Each student panelists contributed two songs that represented their identity. I chose “F.U.B.U.” by Solange and “Born This Way” by Lady Gaga. You can hear the entire playlist here on Spotify.

Join SIPA Students of Color for their annual Career Summit

From SIPA Students of Color:

SIPA Students of Color would like to extend an invitation to those of you who may be interested in attending next weeks 2nd Annual SIPA Students of Color Career Summit entitled, “A New Generation of Economic Empowerment and Political Activism.” This half-day seeks to highlight the entrepreneurs, activists and organizations on the front line of the fight to empower and uplift marginalized communities at home and abroad.

Also in attendance at the event will be members from our student org partners including Women in Leadership, Gender Policy Working Group, Spectrum, Technology and Innovation Student Association and the Human Rights Working Group. Please have a look at the Eventbrite for an updated schedule, a list of participating organizations and employers and more general information.

If you are interested in attending for the whole half-day, just for the luncheon or just one panel specifically, that is totally fine. We just ask that you respond to this email here so we can make sure that you are registered on the Eventbrite, free of charge. This will help us better anticipate capacity issues throughout the day.

 

SIPA Life on a Friday

The following post was written by Andrea Bustard, a second year MIA student concentrating in Urban and Social Policy. Her involvement in the Southeast Asia Student Initiative, SIPA Students of Color and the Migration Working Group has proven to be an enriching experience while at SIPA.

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SIPA offers a wealth of avenues to prepare students with the needed skills for their careers after graduation. Courses range from Cost Benefit Analysis to Policy and Practices of Humanitarian Assistance, and this doesn’t include the classes offered through other schools such as Columbia Business School or Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia. And with over 40 student organizations, you’re bound to find at least one that matches an interest. As a second year, while I’ve felt the courses have taught me skills, having an opportunity to get involved in student groups has given me a chance to work with like-minded professionals and expand my network.

Few classes meet on Fridays, so students often take advantage of the time to attend SIPA related events. Here’s a snapshot of my Friday:

8am Arrive at the Localizing Global Justice conference in the International Affairs Building and greet incoming presenters and help with check-in for registered guests as a board member of the Southeast Asian Student Initiative.

10am-4pm Hear from panelists at the conference about law and human rights issues in Southeast Asia. Highlights included the presentation “Keeping it Up and Keeping it Down – Broadcasting Rights at Thai Protests” by Benjamin Tausig.

4pm-530pm Attend a reception for the panelists from the conference. I especially enjoyed a poetry and cello performance by Professor McCargo’s wife.

6pm-9pm Network at the Alumni of Color Reception hosted by SIPA Students of Color attended by graduate students and alumni from various schools. The highlight was hearing from SIPA alum and candidate for Congress in New York, Vince Morgan, but the food catered from a nearby Côte d’Ivoire restaurant was a close second.

11pm-2am Support SIPA Pan-Africa Network by going to their African Diplomatic Forum fundraiser party at the Empire State Building. On the way back, we stopped at a pizza place outside the subway station before catching a train home. It was a great way to end the event-filled night.

"The most global public policy school, where an international community of students and faculty address world challenges."

—Merit E. Janow, Dean, SIPA, Professor of Practice, International and Economic Law and International Affairs

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