Embarking on a new chapter: Reflections of a MSSP alum five years upon graduating, by Alisha K. Scruggs, MSSP Class of 2007 Alumnus

I entered the Master of Science in Social Policy (MSSP) program at the School of Social Policy & Practice (SP2) upon leaving the classroom. I was a Teach for America alum (Atlanta, 2003) and taught third grade in the Atlanta Public Schools. It was really hard, but what I learned from being a teacher is that every student brings unique challenges to the classroom, but all students deserve the opportunity to have access to caring adults, an engaging curriculum, and people who will help them become ready at every rung on the K-12 ladder. I loved teaching and working with students, teachers, families, and community-based organizations but sought an opportunity to better understand how what the convergence of policy, practice, and theory occurred in practice to improve the educational outcomes of students in the K-12 continuum. I researched various graduate degree programs that would be well aligned with my personal interests and career goals. I spent months looking for a program that I would feel comfortable exploring these questions and learning from my peers and faculty about what policies, institutions, programs, and strategies were in place to improve educational outcomes of all students and to further develop my understanding of policy and research. The MSSP program at SP2 was the place for me.

During my tenure in the program, I was inspired by my colleagues and faculty. I felt supported to explore strategies for improving educational outcomes and thinking about how to better involve families in urban elementary school settings. I wanted to spend time researching how to reinvigorate community partnerships and improve the academic achievement of low-income students. Part of the program included a Capstone Seminar, where I completed an internship at the American Youth Policy Forum and for the first time, walked the halls of Capitol Hill, and felt prepared to be in the driver’s seat of my forthcoming career.

In the summer of 2007, I graduated from the School of Social Policy and Practice with a Master’s degree in Social Policy. I started working for a small non-profit organization called Reach for College! where the mission was to increase the number of traditionally disadvantaged students attending postsecondary institutions. A large part of my job was to create and implement innovative programs to improve college readiness and persistence rates of first-generation college students who attended high schools in Washington, D.C. I wanted to amplify my ability to help others, so I decided to enroll in a Ph.D in Education program at George Mason University (Mason). The program I entered offered a Ph.D in Education, with a major specialization in education policy and a minor in educational leadership. Similar to the SP2 program, the doctoral program required an internship placement (at the time), and I completed my internship at a national education advocacy organization, the Education Trust, in Washington, D.C. This experience was life-changing. I worked with data sets, met with policymakers, researchers, and system heads of statewide educational entities. It was a great experience!
 
Later that year, I was commissioned to complete a quantitative report for the Office of Admissions at George Mason University. The research skills I learned in SP2 and at Mason prepared me to complete this report on what the success rates were for Pathway to Baccalaureate students. This project applied skills learned from coursework at Penn and Mason. More specifically, I completed policy briefs, researched the problems the program was supposed to address or solve, learned about the legislative history of the program, developed an evaluation plan, reviewed entities that supported and opposed the program, and predicted the future of the program. This project allowed me to conduct statistical tests, write formal reports, and present findings before a variety of audiences.  
 
I took a step back in the fall of 2010 and thought critically about where I wanted to go next. I had all of my doctoral coursework under my belt, and six years of practioner-based experience in several classrooms. I was ready to make a move from the non-profit sector and in 2011 was offered a position with the U.S. Department of Education. I am a Management and Program Analyst in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. In this role, I serve as a program officer and provide technical assistance to grantees. I also apply skills I have learned in my graduate coursework and real-life experiences to set, analyze, and use performance report data and use results to improve overall effectiveness and efficiency of grant programs. I have also been fortunate to serve on two Department of Education Committees, the College Completion Task Force and Combined Federal Campaign Planning Committee, where I have made tremendous connections and learned new things.
 
I was recently selected to join the 2011-2012 class of the Emerging Political Leaders Fellowship program. This program selects Teach for America alumni who have an interest in running for an elected office. I hope to become a school board member in the future and have a vision to improve the college transitions and graduation rates of all students. I am weeks away from my dissertation defense. My dissertation explored graduating seniors and university staff members’ perspectives of what may have contributed to high college completion rates of African American and Hispanic students at George Mason University. This project has been challenging, but very fulfilling at the same time. I am definitely looking forward to taking a vacation to a beach location sometime in the near future!
 
Finally, all of the experiences I had prior to entering Penn and since graduating from the MSSP program have provided me with perspective, research skills, and knowledge to address issues that I am very interested in. I feel fortunate to have graduated from the MSSP program and look forward to seeing what the future holds. Thank you for this opportunity to share my experiences.
 
Alisha K. Scruggs, Ph.D Candidate
Management and Program Analyst, U.S. Department of Education
 
"The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically...Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education" - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.