Nyanka Joseph

Expected MPA 2017


Nyanka was an English major as an undergrad but decided to go into the MPA program because she was interested in education policy and was eager to find out how it would help children. She is currently interning at Connecticut Department of Children and Families as a Program Management Intern where she is gaining valuable data analysis and management experience.

Nyanka really enjoys her time at the program. She likes how small the program is and how it allows her to build relationships with professors and peers. As a former English major, Nyanka feels comfortable with developing critical analysis and expressing her ideas verbally and in writing. It took her some time at first to get used to the quantitative classes because of the new way of learning, but she enjoys the challenge. “They excite me,” she said, “and make me look forward to working hard.” She likes how the classes are taught in small sizes, because it allows students to build personal relationships with professors and peers within a short amount of time. “This means you never have to fight alone,” said Nyanka. “When materials get hard you can always reach out to the person sitting next to you without feeling strange, because you already have pre-established relationships.” For upcoming students Nyanka would recommend that they reach out to peers and professors as much as they can.

After graduation Nyanka sees herself working in a field that allows her to tie her new-found data skills with her previous language skills and to positively affect the lives of children. She hopes to help others, not only with her new found data skills, but also through her writing, which she hopes will give others a voice that tells their stories and gives them hope. Nyanka is the winner of the 2016 Talking Writing Prize for Flash Fiction for her story: To Be a Snake in Winter.

 

 

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