There’s still one Orange to root for — The Daily Orange! Donate today and help us win College Media Madness.

Four Syracuse University students have been named Public Policy and International Affairs Fellows, according to a university press release.

Hailey Williams, Maya Benjamin, Aidaruus Shirwa and Andrea Sanchez were selected by the Public Policy and International Affairs Program for the fellowship. Their selection enables the group to attend a junior summer institute run by the organization, the press release wrote.

The program helps prepare undergraduate students for graduate programs in public policy, public administration, international affairs or a related field, the program’s website wrote.

All four students are current juniors in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, with some complementing their studies in other colleges as well.

Shirwa, a policy studies and economics major, told The Daily Orange he almost did not apply.

“As a policy studies major, you hear about people getting it throughout your years. … I did not think I would get into (the program) if I did apply,” Shirwa said. “I’m really happy I can make other people proud.”

In the university’s press release, Shirwa said he was grateful to Michelle Walker, the director of community programs in the policy studies program.

“Michelle was a huge help to my whole application. She guided me through the process and really got me where I needed to be,” he said.

The members of the newest cohort in the program will study at one of six universities: Carnegie Mellon University, Princeton University, the University of Michigan, the University of Minnesota, the University of Washington or the University of California, Berkeley.

The program’s website writes that those applying must “specifically demonstrate involvement” in working to improve historically underserved or underrepresented groups. The institute, according to the program, was created to address a lack of diversity in the field of public service.

“PPIA is a program whose mission is to increase diversity in graduate studies in public policy and international affairs and public service,” said Sanchez, a political science and policy studies major who will be studying at Carnegie Mellon University.

Williams, a political philosophy and policy studies major who will be studying at the University of Washington with Shirwa, said her experience as a part of the institute will be “invaluable.”

“I know that the PPIA JSI will provide me with important training in synthesizing and analyzing quantitative and qualitative information,” Williams said in the press release.

Along with being invited to the institute, the four students will receive a $5,000 scholarship to a PPIA graduate school and a waived application fee to graduate programs in the PPIA consortium, the press release read. The entire cost of the program, including travel, is also waived by the PPIA Program.

Benjamin, a policy studies major, plans to pursue a career in education policy advocacy and will be studying at UC Berkeley, according to the press release.

“During and after my time at my JSI, I am looking forward to speaking with legislators and those working at organizations focused on education inequity,” Benjamin said in the release. “I hope to talk to as many people as possible about their successes and challenges in creating education policy so that all students receive an equitable education regardless of their socioeconomic status or race.”

Published on April 5, 2022 at 11:30 pm

Contact Kyle: kschouin@syr.edu | @Kyle_Chouinard