Nikki Hunter '20

Education Policy, M.S.Ed.

International Development Studies, B.A. University of California, Los Angeles

I am a current student in the M.S.Ed. Education Policy program at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education.  I also work at the Netter Center as a Silverman Fellow which allows me to visit a nearby high school to help with English classes and their writing center.  Since moving to Philly, I have enjoyed exploring the city and taking advantage of the many free academic events the university hosts. Before arriving to UPenn, I worked for a couple of nonprofit after-school programs in Tennessee, The Riordan Foundation in Los Angeles, and was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Paraguay.  My varied experiences contributed to my interest in education policy and helped me realize the agency communities hold in their effort to impact education change.  Now that I am in the program, I have developed an interest in how communities access resources that improve student learning and the impacts of policy in that effort.  Consequently, my goals have expanded to include my new desire to further explore my interest as a doctoral student.

Posts by Nikki Hunter '20

The graduate student experience is an amalgamation of networking, building your skills, stepping outside of your comfort zone, and most of all reading.  Because the Education Policy M.S.Ed program is a swift one-year program, it can feel like you are being overloaded with work.  But it is manageable!  To help you become accustomed to the demands of graduate school, I have asked other Education...

It is that time of year once again where prospective students are considering their graduate school options.  Already, people have reached out interested to learn more about the Education Policy Program at Penn.  One of the first questions is always “Why did you choose Penn?”  Usually, as part of my answer I ask them to consider what is important to them when selecting a graduate program—...

For many students, the start of a graduate program at Penn GSE is simultaneously exciting and stressful.  One of the biggest sources of stress is the financial burden of another degree.  While it is important to remember that a master’s from UPenn is an investment, there are also steps you can take to relieve some of the financial burden.

 

1) Reach out to the Financial Aid Office...