Fall 2017 New Students Series Sierra Robbins COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

Fall 2017 New Students Series Sierra Robbins COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog In our next New Students Series installment, Im introducing you to Sierra Robbins, from San Diego, California.  Sierra works in the womens reproductive healthcare field and wants to learn how to be more effective in the field by  joining SIPAS MPA in Development Practice program. One thing she really looks forward to in the fall is connecting with her  new classmates and picking their brains. Welcome Sierra and good luck soaking up everyones knowledge! Full Name:  Sierra Robbins Age:  24 Degree Program:  MPA in Development Practice Hometown: San Diego, CA Undergraduate University:  UC San Diego Undergraduate Major:  International Studies Undergraduate Graduation Year:  2015 What’s your professional background? I work in the womens reproductive healthcare field; specifically focusing on accessibility of effective contraceptive methods throughout the developing world. Did you apply to SIPA to change careers or to gain experience in a career path you already have experience in? In a sense I applied for both of these reasons I am pursuing my MPA in Development Practice to learn how to more effectively run programs similar to what Im doing now, but I first and foremost want to expand my experience in the humanitarian assistance field. What was your reaction when you found out you were accepted to SIPA? Shock! I thought I had bombed the video response portion completely. Once the surprise wore off, I was really excited to be able to live in New York and have access to some of the best faculty in the world. Why did you say yes to SIPA? It ultimately came down to curriculum. None of SIPAs competitors held a candle to the MPA-DP program, and I loved the idea of the cohort system. What do you most look forward to as a graduate student at SIPA? I look forward to picking the brains of and collaborating with not only world-class professors and professionals, but also my fellow SIPA students. Do you have any apprehensions about starting graduate school? I didnt think I had any, but now that you mention it Ive been out of mathematics and economics practice for awhile. Hopefully the math camp gets me up to snuff. What are your goals after SIPA? I have no doubt these will continuously change over the next two years, but I am hoping that my summer field placement helps me to gain experience in the humanitarian relief field that I can use in a related job after my time at SIPA. If you could change one small thing about your community, country or the world, what would it be? I personally miss the displays of empathy that I used to see around my community. I dont know if its because Im no longer in my small hometown or because messages of hatred are all we seem to see in the media, but I truly think that we as a community, country, and world should spend less time thinking about ourselves and more time helping others. The SIPA community strikes me as aligning with these values, another reason why this program was so appealing to me. Tell us something interesting about yourself: As part of my current role I serve as a Smart Sex QA website manager for Zambian teenagers and youth. I answer a lot of insightful and sometimes interesting questions about body image, contraception, safe sex, pregnancy, relationships, STIs, and more. The funny part is now that my friends in California know Im doing this, I get similar questions from them. Share your story by completing  the New Student Self-Interview Form  today! [Photos courtesy of Sierra Robbins | 1) Building a business model as part of an Innovation Accelerator Boot Camp at the UN World Food Programme office in Munich, Germany this April 2017. 2) Hiking Torres Del Paine in Patagonia, Chile in December 2016. 3) Visiting a womens health facility on a field visit to South Africa in September 2016.] *Note: This series is published in its original form with no editing.