Graduating Students and Alumni Reflect on Earning Their Degrees
Northwestern University School of Professional Studies (SPS) students balance their jobs and studies for educational, professional, and personal achievement. Whether mastering data science or the humanities, every student puts in a tremendous amount of time and energy to reach graduation.
We asked a few soon-to-be graduates and alumni to reflect on their learning experience at SPS and compiled their thoughts below.
“My graduation tale was similar to a story plot diagram—there were some complications, a climax, and a resolution. Luckily, my story has a happy ending. Fast forward a few months from graduation, after searching for a while, I ended up landing my dream job. Going into the public policy program, I knew I wanted to work in philanthropy. With the help of my master's degree in public policy from Northwestern, I ended up achieving that goal. I am now proud to work at the Hive Chicago Fund for Connected Learning at The Chicago Community Trust.” -Sana Jafri, MA in Public Policy and Administration 2014
“I picked Northwestern because the coursework was directly applicable to what happens in real life. The professors are very experienced and they’re using analytics in their own professional work. The other reason I chose Northwestern is because it has global recognition. It was important for me to get into a top school. I wanted those opportunities. Additionally, I think you gain more out of this program from your peers than anything else, because they’re able to share their challenges and how they’re solving them, and you get to learn from that. Nothing is the same as that one-on-one connecting and networking.” –Alex Fender, MS in Predictive Analytics 2017
“I began studying at Northwestern as an undergrad decades ago. I loved the place. All I could hear was the opening of minds to worlds of information and imagination. Fate intervened. I had to leave NU just short of graduation. Fast forward . . . decades. I attended the Summer Writers’ Conference at the University and the doors swung wide open again. The School of Professional Studies was there for me when I was ready and able to expand my knowledge and helped me succeed in achieving my goals.
“Now, I am receiving my master’s degree. It has been a journey filled with revelations, hard work, and the support of top quality mentors and administrators. Every minute of the journey was worth it. I feel connected, respected, and happy to have earned this degree from a school that unequivocally values its students.” –Marssie Mencotti, MA in Creative Writing 2017.
“The professors in the School of Professional Studies understand adult life. They were very accommodating and that’s a big thing…I never even thought Northwestern was a possibility, but the University opened doors that I may not have otherwise had access to.” –Jessica Stell, Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology 2016
“It was important to me to find a program that was rigorous yet flexible from a respected university, and I found all of that and more at Northwestern. I was able to interact with my peers and world-class professors—on the phone, online, and in person. Northwestern provided me with an atmosphere of discourse that greatly enhanced my professional work.” – Eric J. Sanchez, MA in Public Policy and Administration 2014