Sanford’s Summer Experiences: A Look Back
By: Rebecca Tyus
This past summer, Master of Public Policy (MPP) students applied their skills in amazing internships. MPP students were located across the country from California to Maine, Colorado to Washington D.C., and many in North Carolina. Their internships were in consulting, state government, federal government, and nonprofits. These internships allowed students to apply the analysis and policy skills they learned in their first year at Sanford while also gaining valuable, real-world experiences.
Students contributed to many important and impactful projects in policy areas including the environment, education, and health. The Journal wanted to highlight several student-authored publications created this summer.
Haley Toresdahl wrote a piece for the NC Budget and Tax Center titled Hardship across North Carolina Demands Policy Action. Toresdahl also conducted the data analysis.
“Although communities are learning how to manage and mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic, its lingering effects — coupled with inflation and longtime inequities — will require antiracist policies from N.C. lawmakers in order to build economic well-being for North Carolinians,” Toresdahl wrote.
Margaret Sumney co-authored a piece for ACLU-PA titled Fast Facts on School Safety.
“Numerous studies have examined the effectiveness of various school safety measures and their impact on students, especially students of color,” Sumney wrote. “These analyses overwhelmingly conclude that resources would be better spent increasing mental wellness supports and providing services that have been proven to improve school climate. The evidence, not assumptions or beliefs, should guide school decision making.”
Tim Lindsey wrote a piece for Every Texan as part of the Southern Education Leadership Initiative. The piece is titled We Must Protect Every Texas Child in our Schools.
“Providing school personnel with guns will not make our students safe,” Lindsey wrote. “Instead, it creates new risks and increases the potential for future tragedies. Using research-based approaches that encourage positive school environments, we can stop violent events from occurring on K-12 campuses.”
In her work with Third Way, Emily Rounds co-authored two pieces. One piece was titled Why Mental Health Matters for College Completion.
“As we approach a third pandemic academic year, it’s critical that colleges are equipped to address student mental health,” Rounds wrote. “Mental health plays a significant role in students’ overall wellbeing and their likelihood of staying enrolled in college and persisting to a degree.”
The other piece was an op-ed published by Real Clear Education. It is titled Who’s Watching Higher Ed’s Watchdogs?
“Accreditation is a crucial component of our higher education system,” Rounds and her co-author wrote, “but it’s toothless when accreditors fail to look at what should matter most: how well schools serve students.”
These publications represent only a fraction of the amazing contributions MPP students made through their internships. With most beginning their final year at Sanford, it will be exciting to see what the future holds for them after graduation and how they shape the world.
