Where Are They  Now?

Rawlings Spotlight 

Shavon Holland, Cohort 2007

Adriana Gonzalez, Cohort 2011

"The blending of courses, experienced practitioners, and mentoring offered through the Rawlings program provided the realization that public policy is the foundation of society.  Culture, economic viability, and human rights all depend on the development and implementation of effective public policies. 

Having completed the Rawlings program and obtaining a B.A. in American Studies, I began working as a Management and Program Analyst for the U.S. Department of Education and knew I needed to increase my knowledge and skills on the role of government in public policy.  The Rawlings program helped me see the possibilities for effective change that public policy offers and lead me to enroll in the Executive Master of Public Management program in the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland. 

I am proud to say the Rawlings program started me on the path of obtaining a Master’s Degree in spring 2012, with the purpose of implementing effective public policies!”

"Rawlings has given me a strong framework on how to work on the most important and pressing issues in the United States. Through the various discussions that we had, we learned more than just factual information. We were able to share different perspectives on the same issue and hear from people who have had first-hand experience trying to resolve those issues.

The biggest challenge I encountered in Rawlings was to learn how to work in groups. Today I am working towards using leadership tools such as agendas, deadlines and accountability checks while working on group projects to get the job done.

I've learned that to make the world a better place we need to be able to work towards a common goal, set aside our differences and help each other in the path to success."