Each year, CIPA selects several current Fellows to serve as Admissions Ambassadors for our program. Kristen Edwards, a first-year Fellow concentrating in Science, Technology, and Infrastructure Policy, can be reached at kde28@cornell.edu.
Hi, my name is Kristen Edwards and I am a first-year CIPA student with a Science, Technology, and Infrastructure concentration. I applied to CIPA because after spending eight years in the active duty military, I wanted to be freer to make life decisions. CIPA’s MPA program offered what I was looking for to give me the tools and “hard skills” I need to be a leader in either the public or private sector.
I applied to CIPA because of the networking opportunities that would be available both within CIPA and within the larger Cornell community. The Cornell brand is globally pervasive, and I knew that I would be able to get a good education and tap into resources that wouldn’t be as accessible if I earned a degree from other schools. CIPA is a very academically diverse program, so I knew that if I changed my mind about the area of public administration I wanted to get into (like I did in undergrad, and like I have already), I would have a lot of choices. Geographically, Cornell and Ithaca are complementary to my personal family considerations. My husband and I live in Ithaca and he commutes to work about 35 minutes away. Since we spent so much time apart over the past few years, it was very important to us that we live together and that he be able to continue his career while I am in school.
My main academic interest lies at the intersection of the environment, sustainability, finance and energy—I want to enable communities to invest in sustainable energy systems moving into the future. I applied as an Environmental Policy concentration, but switched to Science, Technology and Infrastructure Policy because I feel like understanding infrastructure is very important to the implementation of sustainable energy systems. Additionally, I applied during my first semester at CIPA to the S.C. Johnson Graduate School of Management and was admitted to their MBA program. Over the next two years, I will complete a joint MPA/MBA.
The only other program I applied to was at Clarkson University in Potsdam, NY, where I would have earned an MS in Environmental Policy and Governance and an MBA. This was partially for personal reasons—my husband was working there prior to transferring to his current location—but also because that was a fairly flexible program that met my interests as well. Both schools’ admissions staff were very welcoming, receptive and easy to work with throughout my application processes. Ultimately I chose to attend CIPA because of the program flexibility, the Cornell brand, and because I was able to arrange a solid financial plan with the university.
I enjoy being a Cornell student and I love what CIPA has to offer. There are opportunities I have here that I never imagined I would come across. The students are very friendly and come from many diverse backgrounds, which truly enriches the overall experience. At times I have felt overwhelmed with the number of opportunities at my doorstep—course selection is a challenge because you can only take a certain number of classes but there are so many interesting offerings. When you need help, your advisor, the CIPA staff, organizations and students are there to help and make recommendations. I’m excited about continuing to work towards my MPA/MBA at Cornell over the next two years.