Hi,
I would appreciate any type of feedback on my statement of purpose for graduate school. This one is specifically for Duke Sanford School of Public Policy, but I am planning on adapting it for my other applications. I am open to all feedback, whether its about the tone, diction, structure, overall content, degree to which I address the essay prompt, my focus on my professional experiences since college, etc. Thank you so much for taking a look!
Prompt: In your personal statement, please describe:
- why you are interested in obtaining a masters degree in public policy
- how aspects of your professional, academic and personal experiences have shaped you and contributed to your interest
- what your professional goals are upon graduation
Please limit yourself to 1500 words.
Growing up on former farmland in the rural New York town of Pine Bush surrounded by small dairy farms and my parents' garden, I have long felt concerned about farmers, our food supply, and the natural environment that sustains agriculture. I remember driving home one day and seeing that the dairy where I learned to milk a cow by hand had closed. Small farms were struggling and continue to do so. During and after college, I worked with farmers who used science-based sustainable methods, planting cover crops and applying organic fertilizers for example. I saw how agriculture, when designed to do so, can help small farms prosper while providing inexpensive nutritious food and multiple environmental benefits. Yet through studying Environmental Studies at Brown University, I saw that federal policies unjustly support large farms with environmentally destructive practices, leaving small and ecologically diverse farms underserved. Farmers have confirmed this, telling me that adopting more environmentally friendly practices is unaffordable and that U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) programs do not provide adequate incentives to change practices. This failure of the free market and government, as well as my rural upbringing, impel me to develop policies incentivizing environmentally, socially, and economically beneficial farming practices.
Since graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 2012, I have worked for agricultural non-profits; I developed my analytical skills as Project Manager for Ten Rivers Food Web, learned the importance of public administration at Oregon Farmers Markets Association, and am currently researching policy positions for Farmers Market Coalition. Professionally, I aspire to apply environmental science, economic analysis, and social values to write policies that increase adoption of sustainable agricultural practices. With its wide offering of analytical and applied courses; interdisciplinary cross-over with the Nicholas School of the Environment; and opportunities for peer-learning within the diverse student body, the Sanford School of Public Policy presents an ideal environment in which to learn how to effect this change in an informed and interdisciplinary manner.
My experiences managing local food programs and advocating for sustainable food policies have motivated me to pursue a Master of Public Policy. Working with non-profits such as Ten Rivers Food Web (TRFW) reinforced my commitment to agricultural policy reform, but also taught me the value of higher education in public service. I managed two programs for TRFW to provide low-income and Latino people with shopping, nutrition, and cooking education and assist them financially in buying healthy food. Participants in educational sessions I led told me how the programs enabled their families to afford and prepare meals with fruits and vegetables. This experience showed me the need and potential for both federal nutrition and agricultural policy improvements that make healthy foods more accessible to low-income people. Yet my limited analytical skills also restricted the growth of these promising programs. I saw around me highly educated professionals with a sophisticated grasp of program evaluation and management who were able to reach more people and leave a longer lasting impact. It became clear that in order to develop effective, evidence-based agricultural programs and policies, I needed to learn more rigorous analytical and management skills through a graduate Public Policy program.
As Research Policy Intern for the Farmers Market Coalition, I have further strengthened my interest in agricultural policymaking, particularly at the national level. By collaborating with advocacy, communications, and policy analysis professionals, I have mobilized local food supporters to drive agricultural reform. For example, in partnership with the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, I reviewed the Food Safety Modernization Act and identified six changes for farmers markets and vendors to request from the Food and Drug Administration. Working with diverse groups from across the country on national policy advocacy has been complex, engaging, and ultimately fulfilling. I hope to develop sophisticated methodologies and a more comprehensive understanding of the policymaking process at Sanford in order to continue working at the national level, but in a more analytical and strategic role.
Working for Oregon Farmers Markets Association (OFMA) has also motivated me to develop the management skills required to ensure existing and new policies are effective. As an OFMA board member and the Annual Meeting Project Manager, I partner with state officials to organize presentations about farmers market-related policies. Each year, I hear how agencies coordinate teams of researchers and policymakers to evaluate these policies and implement wide-reaching improvements. Likewise, I work with advocates campaigning for the state and federal government to streamline administration of certain programs and policies, such as the Women, Infants, and Children Farmers' Market Nutrition Program. Observing how administration shapes the impacts of policies, I aim to study public management practices at Sanford and incorporate them into agricultural policy development and implementation.
Sanford's academic program is uniquely suited to inform my application of policy analysis to agricultural and environmental policy. With support from world-renowned faculty I would not only learn broadly applicable techniques, such as using STATA for policy analysis, but also how to adapt them to study specific policy issues. I particularly wish to apply these core skills to environmental policy by conducting research on ecosystem services with the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions and taking electives from the Nicholas School of the Environment. Since my policy interests are multidisciplinary and inherently grounded in environmental science, I intend to earn a dual Master of Environmental Management degree specializing in Environmental Policy and Economics. I consider courses such as Program Evaluation of Environmental Policies and Landscape Ecology as integral to my education and career aspirations. This mix of general policy analysis and specialized environmental courses would give me practice incorporating scientific understanding in developing sustainable agriculture policy.
As a young professional, I would particularly benefit from the many networking and professional development opportunities available within Sanford and Duke's community. Engaging in discussion with students with different perspectives and interests while at Brown made me a more open-minded, interdisciplinary, and critical thinker. As a Sanford student, I would seek such opportunities. Joining the Sanford Energy and Environment Club (SEEC) would allow me to explore different approaches to environmental and agricultural policy with students from diverse backgrounds. I would also actively participate in professional development workshops, SEEC career panels, and Sanford's various Washington, D.C. events to build my professional skills and understanding of policy careers. These opportunities would expose me to a variety of policymaking topics, perspectives, and career paths, helping me make informed employment and policy choices.
I aspire to use the analytical skills, global understanding of environmental policymaking and professional networks I develop at Sanford to pursue work leading evaluation of international agricultural policies and developing more sustainable improvements based upon these analyses. After graduation, I aim to work as a policy analyst for an NGO or agency with an environmental focus, such as the World Resources Institute or the United Nations Environment Programme. This would enable me to develop a proficiency in methodological strengths and limitations, which I would apply to lead policy research and development projects.
Since observing how agriculture can nourish farmers, consumers, and the natural environment, I have sought to inform policy that incentivizes science-based sustainable farming. Studying at the Sanford School of Public Policy would provide me with the skills, interdisciplinary scientific and policymaking understanding, and connections to analyze and develop such reform.
