Student stories
News about our students and profiles sharing students’ experiences in our graduate programs.
We welcome updates from students. Share a story.
Student profiles
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Karly Martinez, MIPA
“My ultimate goal is to work for the Institute for the Study of War on the Russia and Ukraine Team, where researchers collect open-source data and produce daily intelligence estimates that include…
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Doug Bradley, MPA
“I did my research and absolutely fell in love with the program: the faculty expertise, the cohort size, being in the capital city, everything. I am beyond glad to now be in…
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Ella Mitchell, MIPA
“I am passionate about reducing the administrative burden of receiving assistance and improving food systems through evidence-based policy.”
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Laila McLaughlin, MPA
“These courses have shaped how I approach policy questions, grounding analysis in data while remaining attentive to lived experience and institutional power.”
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Sam Wood, MPA
“I am already seeing the payoff of building these quantitative foundations which provide me with a stronger analytical skillset when evaluating policy.”
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Abby Buschette, MIPA
“I was drawn to La Follette because of its small class size, focus on quantitative skills, and location.”
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Carolina Sanchez, MIPA
“I was interested in La Follette because of the MIPA program in particular. I knew I wanted to focus on policy, but from an international perspective.”
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Katie Simaz, MPA-MS URPL
“I was drawn to La Follette for the opportunity to study in two really excellent master programs.”
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Anna Kane, MPA
“I have appreciated the opportunity to dive into long-term projects at La Follette, particularly in Policy Analysis, Cost-Benefit Analysis, and the Capstone.”
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Travis Austin, MPA
“The most rewarding experience of this program is the ability to work on client projects that have real impacts…”
News stories
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Celebrating the graduate class of 2026!
On May 8, the La Follette School celebrated its 2026 master’s degree graduates in a ceremony at the Wisconsin State Capitol with 37 MPA and MIPA graduates.
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La Follette students build database to monitor youth climate cases
La Follette students developed a database monitoring the impact of OCT cases around the United States in Nelson Institute undergraduate course.
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La Follette undergrad projects deliver real-world policy impact across Wisconsin
Last fall, La Follette undergraduate public policy and health policy students stepped outside of the classroom and into professional environments partnering with state associations, local government leaders and emergency management officials to deliver research with immediate, real-world impact.
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La Follette alumni-student collaboration highlights policy research
This spring, La Follette alum Kevin Dospoy partnered with current MPA student Jacob Anderson to co-author the latest Forward Analytics Spotlight, “Affordability: More than Wages vs. Prices.”
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La Follette launches new career hub with support from Ascendium
This month, the La Follette School launched a brand-new career hub designed to connect students to policy jobs, internships, and career resources.
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Sarah Koker receives 2025-26 Brenton Health Policy Scholarship
The annual scholarship recognizes an exceptional student who is passionate about health policy.
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La Follette students present at national policy conference
Master of Public Affairs students Jacklyn Alsbro and Abbie Klein presented their research at the November Fall Research Conference with the Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management (APPAM).
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Fall 2025 highlights La Follette’s partnerships
This fall, the La Follette School partnered with policy exerts on numerous class visits and other campus departments to host three networking events.