I previously was an English teacher in South Korea, and I also worked for an international development organization in Washington, D.C. Pursuing a master’s degree in public affairs was the next logical step in developing myself professionally and seeking opportunities with more responsibilities.

The people at La Follette really make a difference. Each student I have met at this school exudes a level of friendship and willingness to help that you would be hard pressed to find at other schools, especially grad programs. La Follette captures everything amazing about UW-Madison with the added benefit of an exceptional policy school based in a state capital.

After 13 years’ experience in international humanitarian aid, Bill Schmitt (MIPA ’05) joined United Methodist Children’s Services of Wisconsin (UMCS) in Milwaukee as its executive director. He previously worked for Catholic Relief Services (CRS), leading relief efforts for some of the world’s most challenging crises, including the Darfur Genocide, the War in Afghanistan, the West Sumatran Earthquake, and the Syrian civil war.

The La Follette School will host an admissions Q&A web chat on Monday, December 19, from 5 to 6 p.m. Associate director Don Moynihan, admissions and advising coordinator Mary Treleven and student services associate Mary Mead will answer questions from prospective students about admissions and the graduate program. Visit the event web page to participate and sign up for event reminders.

The La Follette School will host an admissions Q&A web chat on Thursday, November 17, from 3 to 4 p.m. Associate director Don Moynihan, admissions and advising coordinator Mary Treleven and student services associate Mary Mead will answer questions from prospective students about admissions and the graduate program. Visit the event web page to participate and sign up for event reminders.

I was attracted to the La Follette School because of its expertise in social policy, small class size, flexible courses structure, and family-like atmosphere.

Rourke O’Brien’s course on Inequality, Race and Public Policy helped me develop an understanding of the policy-making process and how it is impacted by social factors. Mark Copelovitch’s course on International Governance also helped me learn about policy-making in intergovernmental institutions.

2006 alum Karina B. Silver has been researching human trafficking since 2004 when she was a La Follette School student interning at the Wisconsin Office of Justice Assistance. She will be part of a panel discussion on modern slavery at 10:30 a.m., April 30, at in the Sewell Social Sciences Building.

As a rate analyst and policy advisor for the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin's Division of Gas and Energy, Corey Singletary works primarily on electric and gas and utility issues related to renewable energy, energy efficiency, and smart grid technologies.

2008 alum Marianna Smirnova is the human trafficking policy specialist at the Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault and coordinator of the Wisconsin Office of Justice Assistance's Human Trafficking Committee. She will be part of a panel discussion on modern slavery at 10:30 a.m., April 30, at the Sewell Social Sciences Building.